


Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom

by tufano79



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Crime, DOLCE, Erotica, F/M, Mobward, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-07-06 01:52:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15876033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tufano79/pseuds/tufano79
Summary: Edward "The Boss" Cullen and his wife, Bella, survived hell and back. They are looking toward the future, which included a new path for the Cullen Consortium and impending parenthood. Edward and Bella are very excited for their new roles in their lives as Mommy and Daddy.In the wings, there's a new enemy waiting. A man determined to bring down the Consortium and specifically, Edward Cullen. He was going to stop at nothing to put "The Boss" behind bars for the rest of his life. He partners with an unlikely ally, a woman who wants what she deserved. What she is owed, by her only family.Will Edward, Bella and the family be able to move past this latest threat? One thing is for certain, they are Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom.





	1. Chapter 1

**I had every hope of beginning this sequel for _Married to the Mob_ up by Memorial Day, but real life had turned crazy with a broken air conditioner, ankle surgery and the loss of my muse. I’m hoping that starting the sequel will jump start my muse. We’ll see … At least, that’s my hope. You know? LOL. **

**_Edward "The Boss" Cullen and his wife, Bella, survived hell and back. They are looking toward the future, which included a new path for the Cullen Consortium and impending parenthood. Edward and Bella are very excited for their new roles in their lives as Mommy and Daddy._ **

****

**_In the wings, there's a new enemy waiting. A man determined to bring down the Consortium and specifically, Edward Cullen. He was going to stop at nothing to put "The Boss" behind bars for the rest of his life. He partners with an unlikely ally, a woman who wants what she deserved. What she is owed, by her only family._ **

****

**_Will Edward, Bella and the family be able to move past this latest threat? One thing is for certain, they are_ ** **Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom.**

****

**_Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom_ **

**Prologue**

**MaasPOV**

Looking at my bulletin board, I clenched my fists. So many deaths, so many disappearances. All of them were gone and all of them gone because of the Cullen Consortium. All of them were killed by Edward Cullen or his fucking cronies. He was a fucking monster. He needed to pay.

Now, how did I know this?

Royce King. He was a fucking wealth of information. Plus, he paid me handsomely to _overlook_ his transgressions.

Blinking over to his picture, he was missing in action, too. He’d been missing for almost eight months, nearly nine. Last, I heard, he was going out to Dekalb, but he never came back. Neither did Stephan or any of the big players who went out there. It had to be Edward Cullen. The man thought he was fucking invincible! Like the law didn’t apply to him.

_I don’t think so, asshole. You’re going down._

I looked at the bulletin board, I crossed my arms and tried to figure out how to bring him down, to end their organization once and for all. I blinked to the picture that made me want to bring him down.

My sweet Charlotte, my baby sister. She’d been killed by Edward Cullen or by his family, his monstrous killing machines. She was a pawn in his dangerous game of chess, an innocent bystander.

“I’m going to get you, Cullen. You’re going to fuck up and you’re going down,” I hissed. I sat down heavily, taking a swig directly from the whiskey bottle I kept hidden in my desk. My cell phone rang, and I swiped it, punching it harshly. “Detective Peter Maas,” I barked. I listened to the voice and I grunted. “I’ll be there.” I stood up, caressing my sister’s cheek. “I’m doing this for you, Char. He will pay for what he did to you. They all will pay.”

I put her picture back and stuffed the whiskey into the back of my bottom drawer of my desk. Swiping my keys to the Crown Vic, I went down to the garage. I nodded at my captain.

“Where are you going, Maas?” he barked.

“I got a message from some guys from the fire department. There were a couple of bodies found in a fire,” I answered. “Even with the fire, there was evidence of the bodies were shot. It’s a homicide, Captain.” He looked at me, his lips pursed. With a curt nod and dismissive wave of his hand, I got into my car. I drove to the address of the fire, wrinkling my nose as I smelled the residual scent of gasoline, smoke and ozone.

“Maas,” called one of the few officers I trusted, Paul Wren. I sauntered toward him.

“Did you find the bodies?” I asked.

“I didn’t. A couple of the firefighters found them in an industrial fridge,” Paul replied. “From what I was told, it was like the bodies were stored here.”

“Who owns this property?” I growled, pulling out my notebook.

“Owned by a bank. It was abandoned, save for some squatters,” Paul answered. “It was a fire on the top floor that caused this much damage, but the bodies stored in the industrial fridge, in an empty restaurant, are our biggest concern, Maas.”

“You said that they were shot,” I said, jotting down some information.

“Yes, and these bodies were not _recently_ deceased, Maas. The refrigerator protected the bodies, to an _extent,_ but they were still burned and very deteriorated, at least have been dead for over six months,” Paul hissed. “The ME is coming in to determine the time of death.”

“What do you think?” I asked, arching a brow. “You wouldn’t have called me if you didn’t have a theory, Paul.”

Paul looked around and reached into his pocket, pulling out an evidence bag. Inside the bag was a gold signet ring – a ring with an ornate crown on it, with diamonds on the points of the crown. I recognized this ring. I’d seen this ring and in fact, I had a brand of this ring under my watch on my left hand. It was covered with soot and other shit, but it was as clear as day that this ring belonged to the man who padded my bank account. “This was found underneath one of the bodies. One of the firefighters whom I know, found this. I gave him the evidence bag and he picked up the ring.”

“This is Royce’s,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “How many bodies are there?”

“Two,” Paul grunted. “The other one is male, but we can’t identify him. It could be any number of guys. My guess is that it was Stephan Romani. He was last seen with Royce.”

“They had partnered up,” I huffed. “But, his wife had a funeral, burying the bastard. She’s moved to New York to be with her oldest son. Changed her last name, too.”

“Stephan was an abusive bastard,” Paul growled, his eyes flashing angrily. I glanced at Paul, who’s hands were clenched into tight firsts. “I remembered being called to their home and the wife covered in bruises. She _didn’t_ call, but neighbors. He loved to use her as a punching bag.”

“And she never pressed charges?” I asked. Paul shook his head. “And why do you care?”

“Because my dad beat the shit out of my mom. It was only until I was bigger than him that he stopped when I kicked his ass,” Paul snapped. “If it’s Stephan Romani, I don’t really fucking care. He’s a douchebag of the highest order. Only a coward would beat the shit out of his wife, Maas.”

“Okay, man. Relax,” I said, holding my hands up in surrender. “When will the ME be done with the autopsies?”

“I don’t know, but we can rule these guys’ deaths as homicides,” Paul sighed, taking a breath and glowering as the bodies were removed from the charred building. They were on gurneys, covered by black body bags. “Even despite the fire and such, there were clear bullet holes in the bodies.”

“We need to figure out more about this property,” I muttered, writing a note on my notepad. “Is it really bank-owned? Any forensics?”

“All or most of it was washed away by the water or burned by the fire,” Paul said. “I’ll get CSU here to check it out once the building was cleared by CFD and arson investigators.” I blinked, my eyes burning from the acrid, sooty air. “I just wanted to let you know what I found. I heard the call over the scanner.”

“Thanks, Paul,” I nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. “I’m going to check with the ME and make sure I’m called first with the results of the autopsy.” I pocketed the ring, making my way to the ambulance that was parked a few yards away. I spoke to the assistant, giving him my card. With a curt nod, I left the scene of the crime and drove back to the district. Upon my return, I added a few notes to my bulletin board before filling out the paperwork from the fire and now open homicide investigation. “More evidence pointing against you, Cullen. You’re going down, you mother fucker. You killed my sister. You killed Royce and I’m going to put an end to your reign of terror.” With a glower, I stared at his driver’s license photo on the center of my bulletin board. “You’re done, Cullen. DONE!”

**A/N: So, here’s the prologue to the sequel to _Married to the Mob._ It’s an expansion of the ?POV from the epilogue from the first story. We heard from Detective Peter Maas and found out his vendetta against Edward, but it’s all in his head. Up next will be the first chapter, which will be in a combination of Bella and Edward’s POV, like in the first story. **

**Thanks to Clo for her amazing work on creating the story banner for this story. You can see that and any other pictures for the chapters on my blog. The link for that is on my profile. I’m also on Facebook, too: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. You can also get picture teasers on my twitter, too: tufano79. Leave me some loving! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter One

**Writing the prologue did jumpstart my muse. Yay! Now, I can fully focus my attention on this sequel. We’ve heard from Maas and now, we’re going to hear from Mobward and his Dolce. As always, this is so not mine. I do not own Edward or Bella. I wish I did, but I’m not Stephenie Meyer.**

**Now, we’re going to pick up where we left off with Mobward and Dolce, preparing for the new baby and the new ventures for the Cullen Consortium.**

**In regard to the update schedule – I’ll be posting on opposite Sundays. Next week, you’ll get a teaser. The following week, the update. As of now? I’ve only gotten ONE chapter written. I need to play catch up, plus work on my two other WIPs ( _A Modern Day Fairy Tale_ and _Fire of Your Soul,_ my collab with HeartForTwilight). **

**Chapter One**

**_Edward_ **

“As you can see, I am in need of a group of men and women who can help me with the protection of my family and distribution of product,” said my potential client, Amun Cairo. He was tall, handsome and smooth, but with an underlying current of inherent evil. Normally, I’d feel comfortable with him because I was a man of power and also inherently evil, but everything about the man put me on edge. The difference between the two of us was that I had conscience. Amun did not. “I do not have the man power to do all I need to do, Mr. Cullen. You are a man of amazing resources, all at your fingertips. I would love to go into business with you. Your notoriety? It’s limitless.”

I read over his proposal, seeing the flaws in his plan. “Thank you for the compliment, Amun and I can see that you are struggling with recruiting men to sell your ‘product’, Amun. You’re in a unique position, that’s for certain.”

“Agreed, Mr. Cullen. Will you help me? Help my family?” he asked, his teeth blindingly white against his mocha-colored skin. “It would mean the world to me, to my children, to my family.”

“I need to discuss this with my men and do some further research before I can commit resources, weaponry and the large army you’re requesting,” I answered, taking off my glasses. “I’m grateful that you came to me for your needs, but we have to do our due diligence before agreeing to going into business with you.” Amun’s smile faltered momentarily. I stood up, holding out my hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Amun. I’ll be in touch.”

“Soon, I hope,” he answered, shaking my hand and trying to crush it with his own.

Jasper appeared out of nowhere, escorting Amun out of my office and I sat back down, scowling at his proposal. Amun Cairo dealt with everything that I was morally opposed – drugs, human trafficking and sex slaves. I pushed the proposal away, my nose wrinkled. “I’m guessing we’re not going into business with Mr. Creepy?” Jasper asked, sitting down across from me.

“We should check him out, even if to see if he’s a potential threat for us,”  I said. “His home base is in Atlanta, but he’s looking to  expand up north, to Chicago, New York and west to Los Angeles. He’s got a dynamic personality and natural ability to lead but doesn’t trust easily. I’m surprised that he even reached out to the consortium. Why didn’t he reach out locally first?”

“Maybe because he doesn’t have any allies down in Atlanta?” Jasper suggested.

“Possibly. Or, he’s so brutal that his reputation is that of a tyrant,” I offered.

“I wouldn’t put it past him. He sells women,” Jasper growled. “What an asshole.”

“He’s trying to expand too quickly and that’s why he needs our help,” I said, flipping through his proposal again. “His own men don’t trust him. At least, that’s what I’m garnering from this report. Why should I send down my men to be killed in this guy’s turf war? For something that I don’t agree with? Yeah. It’s not gonna happen.”

“For now, we’re doing fine with weaponry and technology. Not as lucrative as in years past, but still kicking ass and taking names,” Jasper nodded. “Emmett, though, is expanding the legit business. He’s been named one of the rising stars in Chicago for his work in flipping run-down condos and neighborhoods. Jimmy’s old place? The hottest spot in Ravenswood. It’s like a hipster Mecca.”

“That means that my wife is featured, too,” I grinned. Emmett provided the capital and Bella was the design eye since my brother was completely color blind. She did that, along with working with human resources for our company. For the consortium? She acted as therapist to men and women in my organization. She’d worked wonders for Felix, who was still reeling from the loss of Demetri in a blitz attack by Royce and Stephan. He’s better and is able to be an active member of the team, but he misses his best friend and brother in arms. My loving, compassionate wife helped him cope with that loss. She now had another protector and close friend.

“She is in the article, too,” Jasper chuckled. “Your mom bought as many _Chicago_ magazines as she could. Emmett’s on the cover! Bella’s picture is inside. She looks radiant.”

“Of course, she does. She’s pregnant with my baby,” I smirked. “Is she here today?” I really wanted to see her. I wanted to love up on her and our baby, too. Her bump was so sexy, growing daily with our baby. I was desperate to talk to our child, which made Bella just _melt_ and incredibly turned on. After I had conversations with our baby, Bella would practically attack me and we’d make love. Let me tell you, pregnancy makes Bella so receptive to my affections. I could give her so much pleasure before the baby. Now? She exploded whenever I touched her in a sexual manner, vibrating in need.

“No. She’s out with Alice, Lauren and Esme, having a girly day of beauty or some shit,” Jasper shrugged. “You’ve got  another meeting, but this one for an investment opportunity. Turn into Mr. CEO and not Mr. _Capo_.”

“Asshat,” I grumbled. “Who’s coming in?”

“Tyler and Mike, the owners of _Bound and Gagged,_ ” Jasper replied. I blanched, foggy memories from my bachelor party and abduction assaulting my mind. “Boss?” Jasper asked. He moved  to me, crouching on his knees. “Edward?” Things were blurry. I could hear noises, but I was having difficulty breathing and the pain of my torture was in the forefront of my mind. “Come on, Edward, deep breaths. Bells, he’s not coming out of it. He looks like he’s trapped in some sort of flashback.”

“Put me on FaceTime or whatever. He needs to see me,” Bella groused. My cell phone was thrust into my hands and I saw Bella’s face. Her face was pulled into a concerned grimace. Her espresso eyes swirling with anxiety and her pink lip buried in her teeth. “Hey, Mobward.”

“Bella,” I choked out. I wanted to touch her. Hold her. I needed to feel her to ground me, bringing me back to the present and not the awful past where I was tortured for an entire day. It was rare that I’d have a flashback. When I did, though, it took me a while to bounce back from it.

“I know you’re panicking. I’m too far away or I’d be there,” she said, her voice low and soothing. “You’re safe. I’m safe. Our baby is safe.”

“Baby,” I breathed. “Let me see.” The phone moved I saw her growing baby bump. “Baby … our baby …”

“You okay, Edward. Deep, slow breaths,” Bella asked, her face filling the screen. I blinked again and nodded slowly. I breathed with her until my heart rate slowed and I calmed down, though I was still very jittery. “Why did you have a panic attack?”

“Tyler and Mike are coming in,” I whispered. “I didn’t know or didn’t remember. Angela’s replacement while she was on maternity leave? She’s not as on-the-ball as Angela was.”

“Oh,” she said. “Can’t you pass along their file to another employee? You don’t have to work with them, you know.”

“I haven’t spoken to them since that night,” I frowned. “I know that they blame themselves for what happened …”

“It’s not their fault. It’s not yours. It’s not mine,” Bella said softly, but firmly. “The only people to blame are dead. I killed one. Your father killed the other.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Why are you apologizing, Mobward?” Bella quipped, her quiet laugh filtering to my ears. “You have nothing to apologize for. I love you. We’re both okay. In a few hours, my toes will be painted, you’ll be home and making me squirm as you talk to our little one in my belly.”

“I have a lot to tell our _bambina_ ,” I said, calming even further. “I love you, _dolce._ I don’t know … thank you for talking me out of that panic attack.”

“Heaven forbid I have to inject your ass with Ativan like I did with Alice,” Bella snorted.

“God damn it, Bella. That’s not fucking legal!” Alice growled. I chuckled. “Your wife better not be injecting your hairy ass with anything, Cullen. Both of you … I swear to GOD!”

“His ass is not hairy, Dr. Whitlock,” Bella grumbled. She winked at me. “It’s perfect.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Mrs. Cullen,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Meh, I’m pregnant. I’m right. You’re perfect, muscular and have a six-pack. I’m jealous. I have a beach ball,” she frowned. “Remember when I was skinny? Had curves?”

“You’re perfect, _cara_ ,” I argued. “I plan on showing you how perfect you are when I get home from work. Enjoy your pedicure.”

“I will, Mobward. I love you, too,” she sang. “Call me if you need me. Okay? That panic attack freaked me out, baby.”

“I just … _Bound and Gagged_ ,” I shrugged. “I’ll be okay. I can meet with them, but hell will have to freeze over before I step back into that place.”

“Agreed,” Bella nodded. “Don’t kill them, Edward.”

“I won’t. I promise,” I snorted. “My record’s been clean for a year.”

“Progress, _capo_ ,” she smirked. “Be safe and I love you.”

“I love you more,” I breathed. She pressed her fingers to the phone before ending the call. I did the same, handing the phone back to Jasper. “I apologize, Jas.”

“Have you ever talked to Bella about what happened? Or anyone? I’ve never seen you have a panic attack,” Jasper muttered.

“I have moments when I’d get anxious,” I shrugged. “Namely when I smell manure, but I don’t remember much of that day. I remember the pain from what they did to me. I also remember my father shooting me to end Stephan and seeing Bella. She was what kept me going, Jas. But, obviously, the club is a trigger.”

“As are the two owners,” Jasper said, giving me a look of concern. “I can get someone else.”

“No. I’m fine,” I nodded. I scrubbed my face and stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee, a snack and then go to the bathroom before meeting with them. Have them shown into the conference room upon their arrival.”

“I’ll let Gianna know,” Jasper nodded. “And if it becomes too much, you send me a text. Don’t put yourself through unnecessary bullshit just to prove you’re okay. Clearly, you’re not. I had to call your wife to get you back, Boss.”

I stood up, buttoning my suit coat and grimacing as my shirt rubbed against my scar between my shoulder blades. “Jasper, I’m _fine_ ,” I insisted, walking past him. He gave me an incredulous look, arching a brow. “Or, I will be. I just need a few moments.”

“Okay, Boss,” he whispered. He stayed rooted in my office while I walked to the bathroom.

I could have gone to the private ensuite bathroom inside my office, but I needed air. I needed out of that stifling room. I went to the bathroom, locking the door and allowing myself a few moments to calm down. I looked down at my hands. The glint of my wedding band glittered brightly under the halogen lights, but also emphasized the tremble. I clenched my hands into fists, striding over to the sink and scouring them in too-hot water. I splashed my face, leaning heavily against the quartz countertop. I blinked up, staring at my face. At first glance, I looked fine but my inner-circle. _They knew_. My eyes were haunted. In my evergreen gaze, that were covered with glasses most of the time due to an injury to my corneas while I was held captive, there was fear.

I never feared anything in my life. I was cold. I was a murderer and I didn’t care what happened to me. I had a goal. That goal was to make the Cullen Consortium the best it could be. To maintain control over our holdings. To transition from thugs pedaling drugs and weapons to a dark, but ruthless private army. To bring the Consortium into the twenty-first  century and maintain our spot on the top of the food chain, without resorting to selling sex and trafficking people.

I refused to be one of those monsters like Royce or Stephan. The Bratva scurried back to Russia after Royce had been eliminated. The Italians were quaking in the boots when Stephan was removed and the Volturi had been enveloped into our organization. The Irish Mob were aware of the changes in Chicago, but never encroached on our turf. They were dealing with their own inner turmoil with a rival family, unconcerned with my expanding empire. Or rather, trying to stay afloat with their own issues.

“Deep, slow breaths,” I whispered, stepping back and wiping my face. I pulled my face into an impassive scowl. I wiped my hands, unlocking the door and walking to the break room. I poured myself a cup of coffee and picked up a muffin. I sat down, sipping my coffee and nibbling my muffin. As I did that, Gianna, Angela’s replacement while she was maternity leave, found me. “Yes?”

“Mr. Whitlock told me to tell you that Mr. Crowley and Mr. Newton are waiting for you in the conference room,” Gianna said, her eyes looking at me hungrily. Prior to my wife, she’d be a woman I’d try to wine and dine. Now? I tried to limit my time with her. She looked at me like I was a means to an end.

“Thank you, Gianna,” I said.

“Mr. Cullen?” she purred. “Would you like to … We could have some fun, Edward.”

“I’ll be there in a moment,” I responded coldly, narrowing my eyes at her. “I’d like to finish my coffee in peace.”

“Oh, um, of course,” she nodded. “I’ll let Mr. Crowley and Mr. Newton that you’ll be there shortly.”

“And one more comment like that, you’ll be out of a job, Gianna. I’m a married man. Do not cross me,” I sneered.

“Yes, sir,” she squeaked, scurrying away.

Finishing my coffee and sending a text to Emmett, explaining that I’d be firing Gianna, I walked to the conference room. Jasper was talking to Tyler and Mike. They were smiling and holding hands. I walked into the conference room, plastering on a smile. I held out my hand. “It’s been too long, gentleman,” I said.

“You look good, Mr. Cullen,” Mike smirked, shaking my hand. “When we heard that you were …”

“Michael,” Tyler snapped. “I apologize, Mr. Cullen.”

“No, don’t apologize. And it wasn’t your fault. I was caught in the middle of a _situation_ , a family rift that came bubbling to a head that night,” I explained.

“It may not have been our fault,” Mike muttered, “but, we still feel responsible.”

“You’re not,” I said, gesturing to the table and sitting down at head of it. “Please, don’t …”

“No, we just wanted to talk to you prior to our meeting, Mr. Cullen. Since that day, we’ve upped our security. With your brother’s help, our club is the safest in the city,” Tyler replied.

“From what Emmett told me, the security firm hired was from our new division of our company, Mr. Cullen,” Jasper said, arching a brow. I was surprised with that. Our legitimate business and illegal dealings never mixed. Unless, Emmett had hired security guards. “Nothing but the best for our investments, he’d said. While you were recovering, he had some men hired for _Bound and Gagged_.”

“I’m glad that my brother was able to assist you with your security,” I breathed, a smile ghosting over my face. “I also hope that you don’t take offense in my absence at your club. From the reports, it’s quite lucrative.”

“We don’t blame you, Mr. Cullen,” Tyler said. “We closed down for a week while we tried to figure out how …” His dark skin flushed and he threaded his fingers with Mike’s. “Your brother helped.” He looked at his partner and lover. “However, we have another investment opportunity. With the club, the BDSM community is growing and as I’ve mentioned before, the education in the community is lacking.”

“I remember our conversation,” I nodded. “I want to help you.” I leaned forward. “Do you have a proposal? A prospectus?”

Mike reached into his leather satchel, sliding a thick packet of paper to me. “We’ve already researched a location and put in an offer, using profits from the club. We need some assistance to help with the renovations of the building, along with purchasing merchandise for the shop attached with education center for the BDSM community.”

“Let me read this over and I’ll make my decision by the end of next week,” I said, holding up the proposal. “And, for obvious reasons, we’ll need to meet here. I’m … I’m struggling with …”

“Totally understood, Mr. Cullen. A few of our waitresses couldn’t return after what had happened,” Tyler frowned. “We even lost one. She was killed shortly after your abduction.”

“W-w-what?” I sputtered. Tyler and Mike shared a look. Jasper blinked to me, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line. This was, obviously, news. “Tell me. What happened?”

“A newer staffer, Charlotte, was found murdered while we were closed,” Mike explained. “She was working in the VIP section and after reviewing the security tapes, she was the person who told you that the bathrooms were closed, Mr. Cullen.”

“This may sound like an odd request, Mr. Newton, but can we get a copy of her employee file?” Jasper asked, his face friendly, but concerned. His eyes, however, belied his conversational tone. He was beyond angry.

“Of course,” Tyler nodded. “I’ll have it couriered over …”

“No, I’ll have a colleague get it from you,” Jasper said. He pulled out his phone. He sent a quick text but nodded quickly. “Seth Clearwater will go with you back to _Bound and Gagged_ and get a copy of the employee file, along with any other information pertaining to this woman, Charlotte. Was there a police investigation?”

“Yeah,” Mike nodded. “A detective dropped off a card, asking questions about Charlotte, but he was … there was something shady about him.”

“We’ll get that, too,” I smiled. Seth came into the conference room. He was dressed in a suit and a grim expression. “Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton, this is our associate, Seth Clearwater. He works in our security division and will be following you to the club.”

“I think we’ve met before,” Tyler said.

“We did. I came over with Emmett to get the security tapes after Edward was taken from your club,” Seth said, an uneasy smile on his face. “Are you parked in the garage?”

“No, we took a cab,” Mike answered.

“Well, I’ll drive you back to _Bound and Gagged_ ,” he nodded. He gestured with his hand to the door. Tyler and Mike left the room and once the door was shut, I leaned back, exhausted.

“You handled that better than I would have, Boss,” Jasper said, his lips pursed. “I would have told those two men to go fuck themselves.”

“It was tempting,” I muttered, taking off my glasses and pinching my nose in a vain effort to relieve the pressure building behind my eyes. “But, like I said to them, it wasn’t their fault.” I got up and rolled my head. “Now, I’ve got several proposals to read, both legal and not, before going home to my pregnant, horny wife.”

“Will you be here tomorrow?” Jasper teased, waggling his brows. “The missus needing your tender, _loving_ care, Daddyward?”

“Fuck off,” I snorted, taking the proposal and skulking back to my office, where I remained until I left for _home._

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Bella_ **

“I swear, my son or daughter is going to be so freaking spoiled,” I deadpanned, carrying up the bags up to the baby’s nursery and adjoining playroom. “I cannot believe the amount of crap we’ve bought today.”

“At least, it matches the décor,” Esme smirked. “I really wish you’d find out the gender, Bella.”

“Not my fault that our little one is shy,” I giggled. “I think the nursery looks good. It’s gender neutral.”

I put the bags onto the white changing table, looking around the room. It was bright and cheery, decorated in a light gray, yellow and white. We needed to finish painting the playroom. Originally, we’d wanted to paint it the same color as the nursery, but I wanted to do it in a buttery yellow color. Begrudgingly, Edward had painted two walls, but the remaining two walls were still grey. It was driving me batshit crazy. His schedule of being a brilliant CEO and respected Mafia Don didn’t really leave a lot of time for the tiny things like preparing for our child.

 _I’m so going to kick his ass. He fucking promised me he’d finish it._  

“When’s your next appointment?” Esme asked, taking out the artwork we’d purchased for the playroom, along with some new toys and a truckload of books. “Hopefully, your _bambina_ will cooperate. Nonni wants to know if you’re having a boy or a girl. If I had to guess, I’m thinking a girl. You’re carrying high. Both of my boys were low.”

“I swallowed a damned beach ball, Esme. My stomach is compressed against my diaphragm and your grandchild loves to use my bladder as their own personal punching bag,” I snorted, rolling my eyes. I yawned, stretching my back and sighing. “Okay, I need a nap. Working part time was probably the smartest thing Edward suggested, but it works when  I’m not roaming all over the greater northern part of Illinois searching for perfect baby stuff.”

“I promise. No more marathon shopping trips, Bella,” Esme said, hugging me and kissing my cheek. “Get some rest. I’ll text Edward, asking him to pick up dinner.”

“Thank you, Esme. Love you,”  I grinned, hugging her back. “I know I complain, but I couldn’t do this without you. You’re everything I’ve ever wished for in a mom.”

“I’m always here for you, sweetheart,” she cooed. “Now, go to bed and get some rest. I’ll let myself out.” She kissed my forehead again, gracefully gliding out of the playroom. I heard her leave. Piling the bags on the changing table, I went into the bedroom and stripped out of my maternity dress. I kept on my panties as I crawled into the bed. I set my alarm for a couple of hours. I wanted to be up when Edward came home.

While I wanted to sleep, my brain refused to shut down. I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. I was too hot, despite being almost naked. My back was having spasms and our little one was punching the hell out of my bladder, lungs and kidneys. With a grumble, I pulled on a pair of leggings and oversized t-shirt. I tossed my hair back into a messy bun, padding to the nursery and playroom.

Inside, I unpacked the stuff that Esme, Alice, Lauren and I bought from this high-end boutique. I put the clothes into the laundry basket, needing to be washed. I organized the books in the bookcase and arranged the toys inside the toy box and crib. Finishing in the nursery, I leaned the artwork against the dresser and changing table. Edward would need to help me with those. I was fucking determined to finish painting the walls in the playroom. I got the paint, poured it into a tray after I trimmed out the baseboards. I started at the bottom, working my way toward the ceiling, listening to music on Spotify.

As my alarm went off from my nap, I flipped it off and I moved to the ladder, painting closer to the ceiling. I was singing along with the music when I heard a garbled, strangled yell. “Bella!” I turned, seeing Edward inside the playroom. His eyes were wide and making purposeful strides toward me. His grabbed me, lifting me off the ladder. “You could have … You need to be careful. Bella, you could have fallen and something …”

I was awkward and the roller, filled with Lemon Glow paint, rolled up his face. “Oh, God,” I laughed. When I saw that, the roller inched down his black, extraordinarily expensive suit. “Mobward … I’m …”

“You painted me,” he said flatly, putting me on my feet carefully and removing his glasses. He scowled at me, arching a brow. “Bella, you could have fallen.” His left hand rested on my belly. “You’re carrying precious cargo, _cara_.” I giggled at him. He looked ridiculous, dressed in a thousand-dollar suit, but his face the color of a lemon. “You’re laughing at me, Bella? Really? I find you on a ladder, painting the walls.”

“You said that you’d finish this, Edward,” I argued.

“I painted two walls this past weekend. I was going to paint the remaining two walls this coming weekend,” he growled, scowling at his shoulder. “You got my Prada! Damn it!”

“I’m sorry, Edward. Really, but the unfinished job was driving me crazy,” I said. I smirked, running the roller up his arm.

“Isabella Marie Cullen,” he said quietly, sounding like an angry mob boss.

“The suit is already ruined,” I argued with a shrug. His cheeks flushed and his eyes darkened, taking the roller from my hand. He put it in the tray. Calmly, he took my hand and led me out of the playroom. “Edward? I’m sorry, baby.”

Closing the door in our bedroom, he dragged me to the bathroom. He slid the suit coat off his shoulders, tossing it into the bathtub. Half of his face was covered in paint, along with his hair. “Strip, Isabella.”

My eyes widened. “Edward?”

“You made a mess of me. You need to clean me,” he said, a wolfish grin spreading over his handsome face.

“Shouldn’t I strip you?” I asked.

“You will. After you get naked, Mrs. Cullen,” he chuckled. “I’m waiting, _dolce_.”

I bit my lip, lifting my t-shirt and tossing it off my body. Edward’s eyes swept over me hungrily as I reached behind my back and released my breasts from my bra. Yeah, my tits were ginormous. No more perky boobs. Now? They were the size of watermelons. _Not really, but they were larger than from before I was pregnant._ I slid  off my leggings and panties, resting my hands on my growing belly. I was a little over five and half months pregnant, about to transition into the third trimester.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Bella. It just blows me away that your body is growing our child,” he whispered. He crouched down, his hands warm on my stomach. “You behaving for your mommy, little one?” He pressed a kiss to my belly, blinking up at me. His jade-colored eyes were so beautiful, filled with desire and a lot of fucking lust. He stood up, his smile filled with sex and all things dirty. “Take off my clothes, Isabella.” He turned on the water of our shower, standing proudly in the middle of the bathroom.

**_Edward_ **

My wife … God, she was a vision. Her body was _glowing_ as our baby continued to grow inside her. She was still tiny, but her womanly curves were more pronounced. Her hips had spread to accommodate the baby and she obviously had a baby bump, but she was perfection. Womanly perfection.

_How did she end up with an old curmudgeon like me?_

She bit her lip, moving over to me and tugging on my tie. She slid it through my collar and tossing it onto the bathroom counter. Her fingers deftly unbuttoned my shirt and tugged it from my pants. She eased the fabric over my shoulders, gliding her fingertips along the ridges of my abdomen. I celebrated my thirty-seventh birthday and I was still proud of my six-pack. Jasper, Jacob and Felix, they all kept me on my toes.

Bella blinked up at me, unbuckling my belt and sliding my pants, along with my boxer briefs, over my hips. I stepped out of them, along with my socks and shoes. She took my hand, her finger gliding over my wedding band. I followed her into the shower and she pushed me under the hot spray. I hissed when the water hit my back, but that changed into a moan when Bella’s mouth was wrapped around my cock. _Fuck. Me. Sideways._

As wonderful as her mouth on my cock felt, I didn’t want the mother of my child to be on her knees in a shower. I stopped her and helped her to her feet. “I love your mouth on me, Bella, but not in here and not while you’re …” I whispered, grazing my fingers down her belly.

“I like sucking you off, Mobward,” she said, her fingers wrapping around my cock and stroking me languidly.

“Don’t get me wrong, _cara_ , I love blowjobs. I just …” I whispered, kissing her lips. She whimpered as I deepened the kiss. We made out as Bella gave me a hand job. I moaned against her mouth as I came.

“I would have rather swallowed that, Edward,” she quipped, pushing me back under the water. “Now, close your eyes. I’ve got to wash this yellow shit off your face and hair.”

“You got it in my hair?” I grumbled. “Bella …”

“Hush,” she said, scrubbing my face with a loofah and tangling her fingers in my hair. She was _not_ gentle, but with the amount of stuff on my face, she really couldn’t be. It took three passes of shampoo and conditioner and a combination of her face wash/exfoliator/loofah that got me clean. My face was red from the scrubbing, but no longer the color of _limoncello._ I picked her up, carrying her out of the shower, much to her protest. “I’m too heavy, Edward. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“You’re still as light as a feather,”  I argued, carrying her to our room.

“A two-ton feather,” she snorted.

“You’re exquisite, Bella. I love you more than words can say and I  want to show you. And you’re not a two-ton feather,” I said as I rolled my eyes, laying her on the bed and kissing her lips. She moaned, pressing her body against mine. She was so warm from the shower and deliciously wet. I slid my hand down her smooth, damp skin and cupped her intimately. Her moans grew louder as her legs spread. I circled my finger over her erect clit, eliciting whimpers and pleas from my sexy wife. Pregnancy had made her so receptive. She was so turned on, coating my fingers with her arousal.

“More, Edward,” she pleaded. I kissed her deeply, pushing two fingers inside. She shuddered with an orgasm, her body trembling almost uncontrollably. She pulled back, panting and her body covered in a dewy glow of pleasure. “Fuck … baby, you feel good. I can’t believe how much a single touch can …” I grinned against her temple, curling my fingers up inside her. “Shit!” she squeaked. “Don’t stop.”

“As good as my fingers feel, I want my cock inside,” I purred. She nodded and I rolled her on her side. I refused to be on top of her. I didn’t want to squish the baby. I slid my fingers out and coated my cock with her juices. She whimpered for more. I positioned my cock at her entrance, easing inside to her warmth. I could feel the pulsations of her body, clenching around me with each heartbeat. “Fuck, Bella. You’re squeezing the life out of me, _dolce_.”

“I don’t want to do that,” she said, grinning as she looked over her shoulder. “I want our baby to know their daddy.”

I smiled, covering my mouth with hers as I pumped into her. Her leg was draped over mine and I had full access to her gorgeously bare body. I gently palmed her breasts with one hand and circled her clit with the other as I kissed her, tasting her sweet mouth. Our lovemaking was languid, sensual. For Bella, it was one long, prolonged orgasm. She was writhing with need and her body soaked mine from her continuous climaxes. Groaning against her soft, pliant lips, my cock twitched and filled her with strings of my cum. She was shaking uncontrollably, threading her fingers with mine as she collapsed against my sweaty body.

“I don’t know how it happens, but pregnancy sex fucking rocks,” Bella giggled, looking at me with a dopey, stoned look. “It’s like your cock is filled with unicorn dust, magic and orgasmic particles.”

I snorted, arching a brow at her. _Did I fuck her stupid?_ “What did you just say? Unicorn dust?”

“I apologize, but your magical peen just made me dumb,” she snickered, rubbing her ass against my deflating cock. “Combined with our offspring gobbling up my brains. I think our baby is part zombie.”

“Oh, _dolce_ , the shit you say after sex. It’s mind-boggling,” I laughed, kissing her neck and getting up.

“Don’t go. I want more of your schmexy body,” she pouted. Her naked body was flushed and evidence of our lovemaking was leaking onto her thighs. As much as I wanted to bury my head between her legs and taste both of us from the source, I knew that within five minutes, she’d crash. I sat down next to her, brushing her drying hair from her face. “Mobward, I need more of you.”

“ _Cara_ , I love you, but I’m old,” I snickered. “I’m shocked I recovered as quickly to make love to you. Give me a few hours, some food and then we’ll go at it like bunnies.”

“Promise?” she asked, her voice slurring with exhaustion.

“Always, Bella,” I whispered, kissing her soft lips. She hummed contentedly and I pulled away. I ducked into the bathroom, peeing and pulling on a pair of sweats. When I walked out with a washcloth, my beautiful wife was down for the count. I tenderly wiped between her legs before covering her with the sheet. I left a water bottle and a snack on the nightstand before going into the playroom for our baby. Bending down, I picked up the roller with the _limoncello_ -colored paint. With a shake of my head, I got up on the ladder, finishing what I promised.

Anything for my wife … my _dolce, mia cara, mi amor._

**A/N: And there we have the FIRST full chapter of MOTM:FFF. (And yes, I know it should be MTTM, but author’s discretion, ya know?). Anyhow, we heard from Mobward and how’s he’s faring since his abduction, which happened approximately a year ago. The timeline is this … junior was conceived in late February, early March. That puts us at mid-August, right around the time of when Bella and Edward should have their wedding in the first place.**

**Now, who’s to say if this story will be as bloody, but we’ll see. Mobward is dealing with the repercussions of his abduction and PTSD, but it hits him when he least expects it. Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**Thank you for reading!!**

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Writing the prologue did jumpstart my muse. Yay! Now, I can fully focus my attention on this sequel. We’ve heard from Maas and now, we’re going to hear from Mobward and his Dolce. As always, this is so not mine. I do not own Edward or Bella. I wish I did, but I’m not Stephenie Meyer.**

**In regard to the update schedule – I’ll be posting on opposite Sundays. Next week, you’ll get a teaser. The following week, the update. As of now? I’ve only gotten ONE chapter written. I need to play catch up, plus work on my two other WIPs ( _A Modern Day Fairy Tale_ and _Fire of Your Soul,_ my collab with HeartForTwilight). **

**Chapter Two**

**_Bella_ **

“I wanted to help, Edward,” I grumped, sitting on the rocking chair in the nursery.

“You really shouldn’t be breathing in the paint fumes, _dolce_ ,” he chided. “I would hate for our little one be short a few brain cells because his mother was stubborn.” He shot me a look. I sighed, nodding slowly. “Besides, I finished the painting while you were conked out after I’d fucked you stupid.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what happens after we make love. I turn into a blob of idiocy,” I snorted. “And to think, I got into Northwestern University.”

“Bella, you’re brilliant, but my mom said that having a baby changes your body chemistry, which obviously includes your brain,” he said, sitting down on the ottoman. He looked so handsome with his multi-faceted, thick hair, piercing green eyes and a jaw that could cut glass. “Bella, stop ogling me.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “You’re just so pretty.”

“I’m not _pretty_ ,” he scoffed. “Handsome, love. I’m handsome. Hot, even!”

“You’re all that, too, but I swear, you’re like this supermodel and I’m ginormous. It’s not even fair,” I frowned. He sat forward, arching a brow over his chic glasses. Even his specs were hot. Being married to Mobward was going to give me a god damned complex. “What?”

“Bella, you’re beyond beautiful. And do not even say you’re ‘ginormous.’ Your doctor is concerned that you’re so tiny,” he argued.

“I’m gaining weight,” I said. “I eat like a damned horse, but my metabolism is wonky.” I blinked up at him. “You’re coming to my appointment this week, right? Dr. Myerson said she’d try to determine the gender again.”

“ _Dolce_ , I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Jacob is taking you to the office and then we’re going to the doctor together,” he said softly, cupping my face. I stared at him, reveling in his love and tenderness. He only ever showed it to me and his family. “What is it?”

“I love you, Mobward,” I whispered.

“Love is too small a word, _cara_ ,” he smiled, kissing me. “And don’t call me Mobward.”

“It’s who you are, baby,” I giggled.

“No, I’m a husband, soon, a father and the CEO of a lucrative company,” he argued. “Being the leader of the Consortium is only _one_ facet of my personality. Not all of it.”

“You’re right,” I nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease. What I should do is force you to talk about that anxiety issue you had when Mike and Tyler came the other day.”

“I’m fine, Bella,” he said, shaking his head.

“That panic attack says otherwise, Edward,” I spat. “Why did you freak out? Talk to me, please? You hired me to be a part of your organization to provide counseling to your men. Talk about being hypocritical if you don’t follow your own damn advice.”

He huffed out a breath. “I’ll talk about it. I swear, but not in here. This place is happiness, joy and love encompassed into a room. What I felt? Total fucking opposite, Bella.” He held out a hand, tugging me to my feet. We left the nursery and playroom, walking down to the deck. It was raining, but we were protected by an overhang. Edward sat down on a chaise lounge, pulling me between his legs and resting his large hands on my belly. He kissed my neck, breathing deeply.

“Whenever you’re ready, baby,” I whispered, tracing the veins in his hands and idly circling his wedding band.

It had been almost a year to the day since Edward had been abducted from his bachelor party, taken by his rivals Royce King, a Bratva monster and his own uncle, Stephan Romani. They’d allied together with Marcus Volturi but strong-armed him out of their alliance. It was with Marcus’s assistance that we were able to find Edward alive. Damaged, physically tortured, but alive. The whole situation was fucked up and it thrust me head-long into the dark world of organized crime. I’d claimed rite of vengeance, killing Royce King in cold-blood.

When Edward was recovered and he woke up from his surgery, he was more concerned about me. I was in a dark, dark place. I had taken a life. I’d killed someone and it had fucked me up. Edward didn’t want me to fall into complete darkness. So, he’d helped me and with his help, his love and his strength, I was able to recover and find my way back into the light. Granted, I was forever changed, but okay.

It was clearly obvious Edward that needed my help. He needed my help as a wife, a friend, a lover and an amateur therapist.

What had happened to him had rocked him to the core. He’d changed his entire focus in the Consortium, phasing out drug sales and prostitution. Though, the Consortium didn’t do much with that, but there was still a minute section of organization that collaborated with the cartels, selling flesh.

“I don’t honestly remember much of what happened that day, _dolce_ ,” he said, barely loud enough to be heard over the rainfall. “I was drugged at the club. When I came to, I was strung up by my arms in an abandoned warehouse.” My fingers moved to his wrists. There were faint scars around his wrists from the handcuffs and later, the ropes. “I could barely see, Bella. My eyes were swollen shut from the beating that Vladimir had given me. I couldn’t place his voice, but it sounded familiar.”

Vladimir had infiltrated the organization. He was hired to be Emmett’s bodyguard, replacing Seth after Emmett lost his faith in him. Seth knew Emmett’s ex-wife was fucking around on him but didn’t tell him. We didn’t know him as Vladimir. He went by the name of Garrett and wore a disguise to conceal his true identity. In reality, Vladimir was Royce’s lieutenant and had been one of the many men who’d raped Emmett’s ex-wife and terrorized our family for nearly a year.

“The next time I woke up, I was in agony. I felt like the skin off my back was being melted off,” he choked out. “And it was.” He tightened his hold on me, kissing behind my ear and I felt tears on my shoulder. “Royce and Vladimir poured some sort of acid on my back, burning the tattoo off my body. I must have passed out because when I woke up again, I was in that storm cellar. I talked to that kid, asking him to get a message to you and then I was dragged to the barn where I saw Stephan. He was completely unglued. He’d always been calm and cold, but he was crazed. He wanted to kill me. The only thing that was a sharp, clear memory was you, Bella. I saw you and I knew I had to … I couldn’t give up, but I was so sore, in so much pain. I wanted to see you in that wedding dress. I wanted to be the man I knew I could be.”

“Edward,” I whispered, threading my fingers with his.

“Then, my dad shot Stephan and he fell, bringing me with him. I could feel your tiny hand in mine. It was my anchor to this world, _cara_. You were my tether to reality,” he breathed. He pressed another soft kiss behind my ear. “I didn’t want to tell you about what had happened when I woke up. On top of that, I knew you were struggling with your own demons. They needed to be exorcised.”

“How long have you been having these anxiety attacks?” I asked, turning around and looking back at my incredibly strong husband. “The one you had with Tyler and Mike?”

“Not often. I can usually breathe through them,” he muttered. “Certain smells get me. Manure, something burning, the cologne my uncle was wearing.”

“I’m like that, but it’s because the smell of coffee makes my stomach turn. The baby doesn’t like that dark roast you adore,” I snickered.

“And that’s why I drink it at the office,” he quipped, kissing my nose. “And brush my teeth before I come home because can still smell it on my breath.”

“ _Bambina_ appreciates it,” I nodded. “I just … why didn’t you tell me about these anxiety attacks earlier? I knew you struggled. You rarely slept while we were on our honeymoon.”

“I thought I could battle them on my own,” he shrugged. “I know why I have them, Bella. It’s because I’m suffering from a mild case of PTSD. I actively avoided my triggers, but Jasper’s off-handed comment that Tyler and Mike were coming just sent me into a tail spin. I’ve yet to step foot into _Bound and Gagged_. I doubt I ever will, either.”

“Knowing what happened to you? I don’t blame you. Besides, it’s not really our vibe. We can get freaky at home,” I shrugged. “I like our bed. Great lumbar support when you’re pounding your gargantuan cock into my wet pussy.”

He barked out a laugh, turning me in his arms and finagling me so I was straddling his hips. “The thoughts that come out of your head and your mouth … _Bambina_ has obliterated your filter.”

“I would have said that if I wasn’t pregnant, Mobward,” I snickered. “Seriously, our bed rocks!” I cupped his face and stared into his eyes. “All kidding aside, though, I don’t want you to think that you have to do this on your own, Edward. When Jasper called me in a panic because his best friend, his boss and his capo was having the mother of all anxiety attacks, I was blindsided. If I could have, I would have been there, illegally injected you with a benzo.”

“Alice prescribed a mild sedative and an anti-anxiety pill,” he said, his hands resting on my ass. “I’m okay, Bella. I’m counting the moments until our baby is born and I can finally hold him or her in my arms.”

“What do you think we’re having?” I asked. “Your mom thinks a girl because of how I’m carrying.”

“I want a girl because she’d be a miniature version of you,” he replied, giving me the sweetest grins. “But, she’d never date until she’s thirty.”

I rolled my eyes. “Really, Edward? You’d be the overprotective father?”

“When it came to my _principessa?_ Fuck yes,” he growled. “I’m that way with you. I don’t want anything bad happening to you, _cara_.” He kissed me, his lips soft and pliant on my lips. He pulled back, eyes swirling with devotion and love. “What about you? What do you think you’re having? A boy or a girl?”

“I don’t care, just so long as the baby’s healthy,” I nodded. “With each scan, I’m holding my breath that something horrible could go wrong to the baby, but each time they’re okay.” He pursed his lips. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Boy or girl?” he pressed.

“I think boy,” I shrugged. “Everyone says we’re having a girl, but I think … a boy. A little Mobward.” I blinked at him and his smile was tender. With a kiss, our clothes were removed and we made love on our back patio in a rainstorm.

xx MOTM:FFF xxx

**_Edward_ **

We were sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Myerson’s office. Bella was leaning against me, her eyes closed. The past few  nights, she couldn’t get comfortable and was unable to sleep as deeply as she’d wanted. Jake was waiting in the  parking garage. Though, if I had to guess, he wanted to be up here to find out the gender with me and Bella.

“Isabella Cullen.”

“ _Dolce_ ,” I whispered. “You’re being called.”

“A few minutes,” she grumbled, moving closer to me and threading her arms through mine. The nurse chuckled as I got my befuddled and grumpy wife up off the chairs. Bella was weighed and she gave a urine sample before we were led into an examination room.

“Take everything off from the waist down,” the nurse smiled. “Dr. Myerson will be in here shortly for your examination.”

“Thank you,” I said as Bella shimmied off her panties. She wore a dress, which meant easy access for the doctor. She leaned back, her legs covered by the sheet and closed her eyes.

“You look exhausted, Bella,” I said, picking up her left hand. Her fingers had started to swell and her wedding set was currently in the safe in our home. I’d picked up a diamond band for her, which she now wore on her finger. It was a double eternity band, small and delicate on her finger.

“I’m okay, Edward,” she whispered, blinking over to me. She gave me a sweet smile. She twined our fingers together as her eyes fluttered shut. “I’ll consider it practice for when the baby actually comes. Neither one of us will do a lot of sleeping, _capo_.”

“This is true,” I snickered. “According to my mom, I was a good baby. Slept through the night and wasn’t at all persnickety. Emmett? He was colicky and only wanted my mom. He’d shriek bloody murder if he was put into my dad’s arms or anyone else’s.”

“That does not surprise me,” Bella deadpanned, her eyes still closed. “I love your brother, but he’s a pain in the ass.”

“According to _Chicago_ _Magazine_ , you make a dynamic team,” I quipped. “I would have never thought you’d work with him.”

“It’s necessary. If not? His flips would be a clashing mess,” Bella giggled. “He’s got a good eye for design when it comes to floor plans but struggles with colors. Poor guy. Completely color blind?”

“It runs on my mother’s side,” I said. “Her dad was color blind, too.”

“Hmmmmm,” she replied, turning her head to me and opening her eyes. I stared at her, caressing her soft skin until the doctor came in. Dr. Myerson was an older woman with long grey hair, sapphire blue eyes and a ready smile. “Hi, Dr. Myerson.”

“If it isn’t my two favorite patients,” she chirped. “How are you doing?”

“Tired,” Bella answered. “I can’t get comfortable at night. I’m really hot. My back hurts and I really hate sleeping on my side.”

“Do you have a body pillow?” she asked.

“My husband is my body pillow,” Bella quipped, squeezing my fingers.

“I’m certain he’s quite comfy but get a real pillow. Also, you can get some support for your knees and hips. I’ll have Marianne give you the information for these pillows. You can get them from any baby store,” Dr. Myerson smiled. “Now, other than being tired, you feeling okay? You’ve gained nearly six pounds.”

“Goody,” Bella deadpanned, giving Dr. Myerson a wry grin. “I’m fine. I don’t feel sick to my stomach and when I’m up, after a full-night’s sleep, I’m energized. If I’m exhausted, I struggle to get through the day. Today? I’m ready to collapse.”

“Listen to your body,” Dr. Myerson nodded. “After this appointment, take a nap.”

“Good idea,” Bella giggled, closing her eyes.

“Not now,” Dr. Myerson snorted. “Let me examine you and then we’ll get the ultrasound machine in here. Perhaps baby will be cooperative, yeah?” She went through the examination, saying that everything looked great. When she was done with that, the nurse came in with the ultrasound machine. At our five-month check, we’d hoped we’d get a glimpse at the baby’s gender, but no go. A month later, perhaps our child would be a little less stubborn.

_Who are we kidding? Bella  and I are the two most stubborn people in the planet. What makes you think our kid won’t be the exact same?_

“A little cold,” Dr. Myerson said. Bella squeaked as the gel was squeezed onto her belly. I threaded my fingers with Bella’s watching the screen as the transducer moved over Bella’s growing tummy. A few swipes and we heard our  baby’s heartbeat. The quiet, steady swooshing sound filled the room. “Sounds good. You can see baby’s heart, right …” she paused, repositioning the wand, “there.”

“I still can’t believe how fast,” Bella whispered. “And the baby’s heart is okay?”

“Perfect,” Dr. Myerson responded. “Now, let’s see if baby will tell us if they’re a boy or a girl.” She maneuvered the transducer over Bella’s bump, pointing out things as she went along. Our baby was about two pounds and should be twelve inches long, but from the measurements on the screen, our baby was a bit longer. With my height, it wasn’t surprising. I towered over my wife at six-four. “I think we hit pay dirt.”

“Well?” Bella and I asked.

“Here’s one leg and another. You can make out the booty and in between …” Dr. Myerson sang.

“A boy?” Bella breathed. “We’re having a boy?”

“A healthy baby boy,” Dr. Myerson smiled, blinking at both of us. “I also think that you might be having the baby sooner rather than later, too. My estimations were slightly off. Pinpointing conception isn’t an exact science. We do it based off size and when you had your last period. With Bella being on the shot, her ovulation cycle was a bit off kilter. Based on what I’m seeing, you probably conceived at the end of January. Baby will be born in late October, early November. That should account for the growth, along with your increased weight.”

“But, everything’s okay,” Bella reiterated.

“Perfect, Mrs. Cullen,” Dr. Myerson replied soothingly. “I’ll print out a few of the ‘money shots’ if you want to announce the gender. Do you have any ideas for names?”

“We haven’t really discussed it,” I answered, looking at the frozen picture on the screen. “A boy …”

“Congratulations,” Dr. Myerson said.

“Can we get a recording of the ultrasound?” I asked.

“It’s already been sent to the computer. It’ll be  ready to go, along with your printouts when you check out. Two weeks,” Dr. Myerson said, shaking her finger. “And don’t forget about those body pillows. Mr. Cullen is a good guy, but he’s not squishy or supportive like you need.”

“Yeah, I get that. Curling up against him is like sleeping on concrete,” Bella deadpanned. “He’s solid.” She blinked to me, her eyes soft and loving. “But, he’s my person. My everything. I kind of like you, Hubward.”

“Oh, for the love …” I snorted. “Hubward?” My wife shrugged as Dr. Myerson wiped off the gel off her skin. She scuttled out of the room and I was up  out of my seat, cupping Bella’s cheeks. “A boy … we’re having a boy.” She nodded, tears flowing spilling over. I kissed her deeply, tasting her tears. “I love you, Bella, even if you call me stupid nicknames,” I breathed.

“I couldn’t exactly call you Mobward,” she said, giving me a watery laugh. “And I don’t like Daddyward.”

“So, you went with Hubward?” I barked.

“You were the one who said that my filter was obliterated. I had considerable restraint,” she giggled, yawning widely. “Hand me my panties, please?”

“I want to fuck you,” I growled.

“Okay, ewww, not here and definitely not after Dr. Myerson had her hands all up in my business. I want to shower and take a nap before we have a celebratory fuck in honor of our son,” Bella        quipped, tugging up her panties. She smoothed out her dress and slid her purse on over her shoulder. We made our appointment for two weeks after we’d collected the video of the ultrasound and copies of the sonogram pictures. Riding down to the garage, Jake was waiting with baited breath. I helped Bella into the backseat and sat down next to her, twining my fingers with hers.

“You’re killing me here. Did the baby cooperate?” Jake asked as he backed out of the spot. “And where am I going? The office? The condo? The house?”

“The house,” I answered. “And yes, the baby cooperated.”

“Are you going to tell me?” Jake pleaded.

“You’ll find out when everyone else does. At the baby shower,” Bella responded.

“B-B-B-But,” Jake stammered. “You promised you would tell me.”

“I shrugged. That’s not a promise,” Bella giggled. “Now, I’m tired and I really want a cheesy gordita crunch. Can we stop at Taco Bell on the way home?”

xx MOTM:FFF xx

Jasper was in my office in the house. He had information regarding a proposal and we needed to do inventory of the weaponry we’d had on hand, along with an audit of the gambling facilities and clubs we’d owned through the Consortium. I was reading the proposal as his fingers were flying over his laptop. “These weapons shouldn’t be on the street, Jas.”

“I agree,” Jasper grunted. “They’re military grade, but the Martinez family is trying sell them for a loss.”

“If we buy these, we are not going to skirt under the radar,” I said, shaking my head. “No. I want no hand in this.”

“You don’t say no to the cartels, Boss,” Jasper said, arching his brow.

“You also don’t deal with  military grade weapons of mass destruction,” I argued. “Even if we purchase them and sell them for parts, they’re too recognizable. Why don’t they sell them?”

“For the same reason why you won’t buy them,” Jasper sighed. “I’ll let Anthony know that this deal is off the table. Speaking of which, you need to fly out there.”

“To New York?” I asked.

“Some new tech came in and Anthony  wants you to see it first hand,” Jasper said. “Also, they’re opening up a new club as a front for more weapon sales. They’re also dipping into the gambling ring, too. Anthony saw how much your purchases earned back their investment within a couple of  weeks.”

“My cousin is not stupid, that’s for sure,” I said, tossing the cartel proposal onto my desk.  “Though, there are times when I do question his sanity. The fact he even met with Martinez to discuss this weapons deal?”

“Like I said, you don’t say no the cartels, unless you’re Edward Cullen,” Jasper smirked. His cell phone buzzed next to him. His smirk fell. “Fucker.”

“What?”

“Amun is texting me again, asking if you’ve come to a decision,” Jasper replied.

“I think this is something we need to discuss as a Consortium. It’s not just on my shoulders. Have you done any research on Amun?” I asked.

“Not yet, but I’ll get on it. I’ll have something ready by the time we leave for New York,” Jasper nodded.

“Text Amun that,” I grunted. “Patience is a virtue.”

“He’s a criminal. He has no virtues,” Jasper snarked.

“I’m a criminal, and I do,” I retorted. “And priorities. They do not revolve around Amun Cairo and his shady bullshit.”

“Damn straight, Daddyward,” Jasper laughed.

I pulled out my gun, aiming it for his head. “Don’t make me kill you, Whitlock. I swear …”

“Touchy, touchy, Boss,” Jasper chuckled. I cocked the hammer. “You know you’re not going to kill me, Cullen. You need my pasty ass. I’m your number two for a reason, Boss.”

“Yeah, yeah,”  I grumbled, putting my gun back into its holster. “But, that doesn’t mean that I won’t shoot your knees out, Whitlock.” He blinked up at me. I shrugged. “Just saying …”

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Bella_ **

Jimmy was walking around a restaurant space in our new home town. Now that he was fully healed from his experience with the Swan Dive exploding, he was bored. Sue and Leah filled most of his time. But, during the day, Sue had to work and Leah went to a school for adults with developmental delays. It taught her basic life skills and such. Leah would never be able to live on her own, but she could, at least, understand the concepts of money and purchasing groceries. “Too small,” he grunted.

“What are you looking to do, Jimmy?” I asked, looking up at him. Jacob was standing just inside the door, hovering in case something would happen. “Open up another version of the Swan Dive?”

“I do have more than just talents for greasy diner food, Isabella Marie,” Jimmy said, putting his hands on his hips. “I did go to culinary school.”

“Well, I’d love to give you some sort of insight, Uncle Jimmy, but I don’t know what’s going on in here,” I quipped, pushing my finger between his brows. “Not a diner. Something romantic? High end? A bakery?”

“High end, farm-to-table. More of a romantic feel,” he muttered. “The dining room space in here is good, but the kitchen is too tiny.”

“The place next door is up for sale, too,” I shrugged. “You could get both, knock down a few walls and rearrange it. Make it into what you want to be, Uncle Jimmy.”

He blinked to the real estate agent that had been taking us to various commercial spots. “Is that doable? I have the capital to do it.”

“The place next door was a clothing boutique but could be renovated into something to meet your needs, Mr. Swan,” she simpered. “Let me make a few calls.” She stepped out of the space and I waddled around the rear of the restaurant, near where the wait staff would pick up the food to deliver to the customers.

“I never would have thought you’d want to do some fancy-schmancy restaurant, Uncle Jimmy,” I said, sitting down on an overturned paint bucket. I rubbed my aching  back. “Why? I’m curious.”

“I miss working in the restaurant industry,” he shrugged, leaning against the wall. “Will I be as involved as I was with the diner? At first. I want to establish the place as a quality restaurant. Create recipes specific for the ingredients we’ll get locally.”

“Do you cook for Sue?” I asked, waggling my brows.

“I’ve done all the cooking, testing out recipes for this restaurant. Sue loves them, but it’s Leah who’s giving me some great ideas,” Jimmy chuckled. “A few seemed completely off the wall, but with some experimentation, they work.” He shifted on his feet. “Once we get the recipes established and I hire an executive chef that I trust as much as me, I’ll be more of the face of the restaurant. With my injuries, I can’t spend all night in front of a stove.”

“I get it,” I nodded. “With your ‘grandbaby’, I’ve had to call on Mrs. Cope to do the cooking for Edward and me.”  I grumbled as I moved on the paint bucket. “This kid likes to use my liver as a kickball. Future soccer star, I’m telling you.”

“And when are you going to tell me the gender of my grandbaby?” Jimmy asked, his hands on his hips.

“You’ll find out at the baby shower next week, Swan,” I snorted. “Good things come to those who wait, Jimmy!”

“I wiped your ass, Isabella Marie,” Jimmy scoffed.

“No, you didn’t. Dad didn’t trust you with me when I was a wee babe,” I smirked. Jimmy glowered at me. “Nor did he trust Mom, either.”

“Charlie was a goddamned worrywart,” Jimmy laughed, but his smile fell. “I miss the fuck out of him. It hits me out of nowhere. You know?”

“Yeah, I do,” I frowned. “You were so close with him.”

“He was my rock, Bells,” Jimmy shrugged. “And he loved you more than life itself. It killed him to be so sick, leaving you all alone. I mean, we have a great relationship, but I’m not your dad.”

“Jimmy, you may not  be my father, but you’re my dad in every way it counts. You love me and support me in my decisions. You were there for me when my mom decided to be an epic whoring bitch from hell,” I sighed.

“Fucking cunt,” Jimmy spat. “I know you hate that word, but it’s what she is. Renee is the lowest of the low. You’ve got everything good from your father and you were hatched from that piece of shit. And I’ll continue protecting you from her.”

“Has she reached out?” I asked.

“Yeah, she did, just before Edward was abducted. She needed money. I told her to fuck off,” Jimmy laughed. “She said that if you loved her that you’d send her the money.”

“I don’t love her,” I scoffed.

“That was my response and I blocked her,” he smirked. “I also told Seth about her, too. Shortly after her calling me, Edward and your wedding …”

“Yeah,” I sighed, frowning a bit.

“Mr. Swan?” came the voice of the real estate agent. “I spoke to the owner of the other space. They’re willing to talk. Would you like to check it out?”

“Sounds great,” Jimmy smiled. He blinked to me. “Coming, Bells?”

“I don’t think so. My back is really bugging me and I think I need Jake to help me off this paint bucket,” I snickered. Jimmy nodded, kissing my forehead and following the agent out of the restaurant space. Jake practically had to lift me up and I whimpered as my back spasmed when I stood up. “Can you tell my uncle that I need to get to a heating pad? Stat?”

“That bad?” Jake asked, his brow furrowing. I nodded, grimacing in agony. “It must be. You never complain.” He bit his lip. “I shouldn’t leave you, though.”

“Jake, I have a weapon and I’m going to slowly waddling up to the front of the restaurant. I’ll be fine. In and out, done!” I said, clapping my hands together. He grumbled, striding out of the door in like five steps. I scuttled behind him, taking twice as long to go half as far. When I made it to the door, Jimmy took my arm and helped me to the Volvo. My uncle looked concerned. “I’m fine, Jimmy. Just a little back ache. Are you taking the place?”

“I’ve got the contact information,” he said, buckling me in the seat. “I’ll think about it, but possibly. Right now? I’m concerned about you, Bells.”

“I have a date with my heating pad and body pillow,” I responded. “I love you.”

“Love you more, kiddo. Call me when you get settled, okay?” he said, kissing my forehead and ruffling my hair. I nodded and Jake backed out of the parking lot. Fifteen minutes later, I was in my pajamas, laying on the couch with my  feet propped up, a heating pad on my back and a cup of herbal tea. I sent my uncle a text, explaining I was fine and spent the rest of the day watching _Say Yes to the Dress_ on TLC. Jacob wanted to call Edward, but I insisted I was fine.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Edward_ **

“Mr. Cullen, you have one more appointment before you leave,” said my newest assistant, Carole. After Gianna had been escorted off the building, I hired internally. Carole was three steps away from retirement and probably the best person to cover Angela’s maternity leave. I’d approached her, speaking to her personally about helping me out. We discussed our options, Carole agreed to be my assistant and retire once Angela returned from maternity leave. “They’re running late, though.”

“I know you have to go,” I smiled. “Is Jessica still at the front desk?”

Carole nodded, giving me a grateful smirk. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Cullen.”

“You, too, Carole. Oh, are they any notes or concerns about this appointment?” I asked.

“Just a name,” she shrugged. “R. Dwyer. No phone number or a reason to meet with you. I think that Gianna just took the information, not concerned with the reason why.”

“Shocking,” I deadpanned. Carole waved, leaving the office and I worked on the books for the Consortium, comparing them to years past. I wanted to see how our business was faring with the change in our priorities. As I was looking at the profits for gun sales, my phone buzzed. I pressed the speaker button. “Cullen.”

“Mr. Cullen, there’s a woman here to see you. She has an appointment. Mrs. Dwyer?” Jessica chirped.

“Can you bring her back?” I asked. I saved the work on the spreadsheet, closing my laptop. I tucked it into my bag, pulling out a pad of paper. I stood up, seeing Jessica walk a petite woman toward my office. From a distance, she was attractive. As she moved closer, I could see evidence of really bad plastic surgery. Her lips were too big for her face, looking like a duck. Her breasts were lopsided and her skin looked like leather. Her short hair was highlighted in an attempt to look chic, but it made her look older. Her clothes were too tight and not appropriate for an office. Or even for public display. Mrs. Dwyer looked like a whore – she was ridden hard and put away wet. Along with looking like shit, she also looked familiar.

_Mrs. Dwyer is Bella’s mother._

I had a file in my desk, with information about this woman who was walking toward me. I plastered on a fake smile, buttoning my jacket. “Mrs. Dwyer?”

Renee Dwyer, née Higginbotham, looked at me hungrily as she held out her hand. “Edward Cullen. It’s a pleasure. Photos do not do you justice. You’re a handsome fucker,” she purred. I kept my face impassive, barely touching her and she stumbled toward me, putting her hands on my chest. She looked up at me, licking her lips and pressed her body against mine.

“Do you want me to stay, Mr. Cullen?” Jessica asked, her voice strangled.

“If you don’t mind, Jess,” I said, gently pushing Renee back. “Can you stay at your desk?” I blinked to Carole’s desk and Jessica nodded.

“We don’t need a chaperone, do we, Edward?” Renee pouted, pushing her fake boobs together.

I gestured to a leather chair and I made my way to behind my desk, as far away from Renee as possible. “Now, Mrs. Dwyer, I don’t know why you’re here. My assistant, who is on maternity leave, hired someone who was quite incompetent. She didn’t leave the reasoning for this visit. Do you have an investment opportunity? Are you looking to purchase properties?”

She waved her hand dismissive. “Please, call me Renee,” she laughed, but it had a hard edge to it. She shot a glower to Jessica before closing my office door. She sat down, pulling a ‘Sharon Stone’ a la _Basic Instinct_. I really didn’t need to see that, really. I pressed a button for security as she arched a brow. “I know who you are.”

“Really?” I asked coldly. “And who’s that?”

“My daughter’s rich husband,” Renee smirked. “And in order for me to keep my mouth shut about your true identity, you’ll have to finance my lifestyle, Edward.”

“Really?” I chuckled. “You and what army, _Renee_.  Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m certain that my baby girl would want to know what a man-whore you are,” Renee replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’ve got proof, Edward. And as your mother-in-law, you should listen to me.” She reached into her ginormous purse, tossing a file folder over to me. “My proof and the expectations for what I want from you.”

 _Oh, this should be rich_. I leaned forward, opening the file folder and saw some really bad Photoshopped pictures of me with well-known porn actresses. I flipped the photos and saw her list of demands. “Renee, I don’t know what fantasy world you’re living in, but this is not happening.”

“I’ll leak those photos to the press,” Renee shrieked.

“You do that and you’ll be a laughingstock,” I shrugged, slamming the folder shut. “Why should I even entertain this farce of an attempt at extortion? I should call the cops, to be honest. I know all about the bullshit you’ve been pulling on my wife for years after Charlie’s death. Never _once_ did you call her. You’re not a mother. You’re an opportunistic bitch, a user. Bella hates you. Jimmy? He despises you. And me? If you try this bullshit again, you’ll find yourself arrested. I’ve got close friends in the Chicago PD. Take your skanky, whoring ass out of my building.”

The door opened and Felix, Liam and Seth were waiting on the other side. Liam was standing at point, his face pulled into a dark sneer. “You’re coming with us, Mrs. Dwyer,” he growled and his accent deep, menacing.

Renee pursed her lips, looking like she was sucking on a lemon. Her eyes were flashing with fire. “You’ll regret this, Cullen,” she growled, reaching for the file.

“I’m keeping this, sweetheart,” I said sarcastically. She became unhinged, jumping  up and trying to rip the file folder from my desk. Liam caught her before she could scratch the hell out of my face, carrying her out of my office as she shrieked angrily. “I want a tail on her, Felix.”

“Jasper is already working with some of the guys to get that done, Boss,” Seth explained. “My protégé, Julian, is going to follow her first. He’s already on the street with access to a car and motorcycle. He’s an expert tracker.”

“Do you trust him?” I asked. Seth nodded. “Also, reach out to Claire. I think that Renee is at her wits end, trying to blackmail me. I want Bella to have a protective order. An _official_ one, from the cops along with her usual security detail.”

“On it, Boss,” Seth said.

“Felix, I want you to be with my wife,” I told him. “With her mom in town?”

“You seem to be the focus of her ire, though, Boss,” Felix grunted. I arched a brow. I could handle myself. Bella was pregnant and could not. She needed more protection. Not me. “But, I’ll stick close to Bells. Her mom is a raging bitch.”

My cell phone rang on my desk. “I’m glad you understand my drift, Felix,” I said, sliding my finger across the screen. “Cullen.”

“Boss? It’s Jake. Something’s up with Bella. You need to get home. Now.”

_Fuck._

**A/N: Cliffhanger in the SECOND chapter. What the hell?! We also met Renee, Bella’s incubator. She’s a piece of work. We also found out the gender … a boy! I’ve already got a name picked out, but I wonder what you all think about the gender reveal. Also, if you have a name suggestion, let me know! I could be persuaded to change the name … well, the middle name.**

**Pictures from this chapter will be on my blog … the link for that is on my profile. I’m also on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.**

**The next chapter will have some action in it and obviously, the resolution of our cliffhanger. Thank you for reading!! I’ll see you in a couple of weeks!**


	4. Author's Note

Hey all ... this is NOT an update. It's a message. For those of you in my Facebook group (Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation), you know that I'm struggling. Real life is currently kicking my ass. I'm barely able to keep my head above water. When I make some sort of headway, something pulls me back down. I worked eighty hours last week with concerts, field trips and wrapping up the first quarter. I'm working the same this week, plus the weekend.

With that being said, all of my stories are on hiatus since my muse is being a persnickety, fickle little bitch. Right now, writing fic feels more like work and not that much fun. I haven't written anything in almost a month. The free time I have to write, I just want to sleep or relax. Or cry ... crying seems to be a popular option right now.

I'm sorry about the delay, but I can't post anything if I have nothing written. In fact, this is the most I've written (save for work emails) since the end of September. And it's not even a fic ... Sigh ...

Thank you for your patience and I'm hoping to have something written soon. I just need to take some time for myself. I can't say when I'll be back, but I will be. I won't leave stories unfinished. That's just not me.

I'm signing off for now ...

Hugs,

Tufano79


	5. Chapter 3

**Writing the prologue did jumpstart my muse. Yay! Now, I can fully focus my attention on this sequel. We’ve heard from Maas and now, we’re going to hear from Mobward and his Dolce. As always, this is so not mine. I do not own Edward or Bella. I wish I did, but I’m not Stephenie Meyer.**

**The next chapter will have some action in it and obviously, the resolution of our cliffhanger.**

**Chapter Three**

**_Edward_ **

_“Felix, I want you to be with my wife,” I told him. “With her mom in town?”_

_“You seem to be the focus of her ire, though, Boss,” Felix grunted. I arched a brow. I could handle myself. Bella was pregnant and could not. She needed more protection. Not me. “But, I’ll stick close to Bells. Her mom is a raging bitch.”_

_My cell phone rang on my desk. “I’m glad you understand my drift, Felix,” I said, sliding my finger across the screen. “Cullen.”_

_“Boss? It’s Jake. Something’s up with Bella. You need to get home. Now.”_

Fuck _._

xx MOTM:FFF xx

I was pacing the length of the hospital room. Bella was sleeping, uncomfortably. Her beautiful face was pinched in pain as she laid on her side, a heating pad on her back.

After Jake called me, giving me a fucking heart attack, I told him to call Alice. She may not be an obstetrician, but she had a working knowledge of what was going on with Bella’s body. Alice did go to medical school. Alice said for Jake to take Bella to the hospital to be checked out. It could be something small like a muscle strain in her back, which was painful, but didn’t ultimately harm the baby. It also could be the beginning of back labor, which would need to be stopped since the baby was nowhere near ready to be born.

If that was the case, Bella would be in that hospital bed for the rest of her pregnancy, however long that may be.

Bella whimpered, shifting on the hospital gurney. Strapped on her belly was a fetal heart monitor. I was an anxious mess, looking at my soul mate in pain. The only thing that gave me solace was the steady heartbeat of my son. He was doing okay inside.

“Mr. Cullen?” Dr. Myerson said, walking into our private suite. She smiled at me tenderly, but relieved. “After running some tests, your wife has strained a couple of muscles in her back. The baby is growing inside, putting more pressure onto her body. Your wife is tiny. You’re not.”

“Are you saying that our son is going to be big?” I snorted.

“Right now? He’s about four pounds, at seven months. Bella also gained fifteen pounds since her last appointment,” Dr. Myerson explained.  “That rapid weight gain, coupled with the baby moving around inside? It caused the strain in her back, hips and pelvis.”

“What can we do?” I asked. “She looks so uncomfortable.”

“You have a couple of options. Pain killers aren’t an option because they could cause birth defects with your baby. She can’t take anything stronger than Tylenol,” Dr. Myerson said. “There are a few unconventional methods for pain management - acupuncture, chiropractic care, exercise, heat and cold therapies and improved posture. You’ve got a great chiropractor in your neighborhood who specializes in pregnancy adjustments. I’ve sent a couple of patients to him with some really great results. No more pain.”

I looked at my wife, sitting down next to her and taking her tiny hand. She sighed, moving closer to me. I pressed a kiss to Bella’s wrist. “What about now?”

“We’re going to keep her overnight. The pain did cause her to have a few Braxton-Hicks contractions. I’d like to monitor that overnight, but since she’s been here, there haven’t been anymore,” Dr. Myerson said. “She’ll be released tomorrow, if all goes well.”

“Can we get the information for the acupuncturist and chiropractor? And should we use a physical therapist for the exercise?”

“Physical therapy might be overkill. I’ll print out the information for the chiropractor. They have an experienced acupuncturist on staff. I’ll also give you some exercises, but swimming, walking and stationary cycling can help. I’ll also give you some strengthening exercises. That will help when it comes time for when your little one makes his appearance,” Dr. Myerson nodded. She looked at me, her lips pursed. “Maybe a physical therapist should be in order. I’ll write a prescription for that.”

“Thank you,” I smiled. Bella’s eyes fluttered and she blinked up at me sleepily.

“I’ll also get you some scrubs. You shouldn’t have to sleep in your suit, Mr. Cullen,” Dr. Myerson quipped. “I’ll also get a more comfortable cot brought in.” She ducked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“How much did you hear?” I asked.

“Medicine won’t help,” Bella grumped. “But, acupuncture? I hate needles!”

“Says the woman who has three tattoos,” I quipped. “How long have you been in pain, _dolce?_ ”

“A couple of days, but today was the worst. When I was walking around with Uncle Jimmy, my back was just twitching painfully,” she grumbled. “When I sat down? It got exponentially worse. I thought that relaxing on the couch would help, but it didn’t. I couldn’t get comfortable. When I couldn’t stand up from taking a piss? That’s when I knew it was really bad.”

“Who helped you?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.

“Jake did, but he kept his eyes averted, Mobward. Relax. You’re the only one who gets to see my goodies,” Bella snorted, tugging on my hand and pulling me onto the gurney. I sat on the edge as Bella put her cheek against my shoulder. “Do you think that the treatment Dr. Myerson mentioned will work?”

“There’s no harm in trying, Bella,” I said, kissing her forehead. “But, you need to listen to your body. You’re so stubborn. Need I remind you about that bout of pneumonia? You pushed yourself to the limit, woman. I think you’re doing that now with the baby.” I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. _What now?_ I slipped out my phone, seeing a text from Jasper. _Damn. It._ “Bella, I need you to take it easy. Please?”

“But, from the conversation I heard with Dr. Myerson, I really can’t,” Bella argued.

“Going to a chiropractor, walking and swimming is not really hard, love,” I replied, trying to assuage her concerns. “And you’re not doing any more of the flips with Emmett until after the baby’s born.”

“I don’t like being told what to do,” Bella sneered. She put her hand on her belly, which had gone from an adorable baby bump to a beach ball. “But, you’re probably right. I’m clumsy when I don’t have a baby belly. Now? Even more so. Moving around those construction sites?”

“I just want my wife and baby to be safe, _cara_ ,” I whispered, leaning forward and kissing her lips. My cell phone vibrated again.

_Boss, things are FUBARed. We need you. I know that Bella’s dealing with some shit, but this needs your attention ~ Jasper_

With a scowl, I tapped out a response. _I’ll get Mom and Dad here. I’ll be there in an hour ~ E_

_Understood. The warehouse off Paulina. ~ Jasper_

“Bella, I have to step out for a moment,” I said. She bit her lip, nodding sadly. I kissed her forehead, stepping into the hallway. I walked to the waiting room and dialed my parents. My mom picked up. “Ma, I hate to do this … there’s a situation that … I’m at the hospital.”

“Is Bella okay?” Mom breathed.

“Muscle strain in her lower back,” I said. “I need to go and deal with this situation. I don’t want to go. I want to be here for my wife, but Jasper said that …”

“I understand,” Mom said. “I was in labor with your brother when your dad was called away. He barely made it back in time for his birth. He was on my shit list for a long time, but he made up for it.”

“I don’t want to know,” I grumbled. “You and Dad are pervy enough. I’m scarred by your sexual antics. My eyes were blinded by Dad’s ass when I was nine.”

“Just like you’ll scar your own child’s mind,” Mom snorted. “Your father and I will be there in a few moments. Do not go until we’re there. Bella would kick your ass, pregnant or not.”

“I know that,” I laughed. “Thanks, Mom. I wish …”

“Baby, I know. Tell Bella that we’re on our way. Once we get there, you leave with Felix, okay?”

I thanked her again, hanging up the phone. I walked back to Bella’s room. Jacob was sitting with her, talking quietly with her. He blinked up at me, his eyes swirling with understanding. He must have gotten the same texts that I did. He’d stay with Bella, but I wished I’d had him on my back. Jacob was a killer shot. “Jake, can I have a moment with my wife?”

“Yeah, Boss,” he nodded. “I’ll be right back, Bells.”

“Bring real food, Jake,” she snickered. “The hospital food doesn’t really sound all that appetizing.”

“Got it, Bells,” he smirked, stepping out of the room. “Anything in particular?”

“Mexican food,” she smirked, sliding her eyes to mine. “I know it gives me heartburn, but I really want some tacos from that place in downtown. Oh, along with queso, guac and chips!”

Jacob laughed, leaving me in the hospital room. Bella knew how those foods interacted with her pregnant body. She was already beginning her punishment, in the form of toxic gas. I was almost grateful to go to the warehouse. I wouldn’t have to smell her swamp ass. I sat down on the gurney, taking her hand. “I got a text from Jasper. There’s a situation. I need to …”

“Will you be back?” she asked, her voice tiny and her eyes swirling with concern.

“As soon as I’m done, _dolce_ ,” I vowed. “Do you have your cell phone?”

“It’s in my purse,” Bella replied, nodding to her bag. “I need to charge it.” She bit her lip. “Am I going to be alone?”

“Mom and Dad are coming as we speak. I’m not leaving until they get here. Then, I have to change before going back to the city,” I murmured, kissing her forehead.

She took my face, staring into my eyes. “You’ll be safe, right? Wear a vest?”

“I promise, _cara_ ,” I said, covering her hands with mine.

“I want my son to know his father, Edward,” she cried, fat tears spilling over her cheeks. Bella was always so strong, but this was the first time we’d be separated because of my ‘job’ since my abduction. “Come back to me, Edward. Promise me!”

“I promise. I promise you and our baby,” I murmured, kissing her face and wiping her tears away with my thumbs. “I love you, Bella. More than my own life.” I pressed mouth lips to hers, sliding my tongue between her lips. She clung to me as we made out until my parents arrived. When my father cleared his throat, I pulled back, staring into her eyes. “I’ll be back, _mi amore._ ”

She nodded, her eyes wide and gripping my wrists. She refused to let me go, only doing so when my mom slid her arm around Bella’s shoulders. I stood up, walking out of the room. My dad followed me. “Edward, I know it’s tough,” he said, his hand on my arm. “I’m certain your mother told you about Emmett’s birth.”

“Yeah, she did,” I replied, sighing deeply. “How did you get out of the dog house?”

“You don’t want to know,” Dad chuckled. “Lots of jewelry, a nanny and an extended vacation. That was just the tip of the iceberg. You know, though, they wouldn’t have called you if you weren’t needed.”

“I know, but I hate that I’m leaving her here. Bella’s in pain, Dad,” I grumbled.

“And you being here won’t help that. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back, son,” Dad said, arching a brow. I nodded, hating to leave my pregnant wife, but I needed to attend to my _situation_ in the warehouse. “Be safe and I love you.”

“Love you, too,” I muttered. I closed my eyes and strode out of the hospital. Felix was waiting for me. He handed me a bag, filled with new clothes. I changed in the car, removing my suit and putting on black jeans, a Kevlar vest and a black long-sleeved t-shirt. I slipped on a black leather jacket after I strapped my knife to my leg and hid my gun. By the time we were on the highway, Edward was gone and _Capo_ had come to life. My emotions were turned off, ready to deal with whatever was waiting for me in the warehouse off Paulina.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Bella_ **

I was eating my meal. Jake had done awesome, picking up a barbacoa burrito, filled with rice, corn salsa, lettuce, sour cream and mounds of cheese along with chips, queso and guacamole. I knew that I’d be paying for this meal later, but it tasted so fucking good now. Esme was sitting with me, prattling on about the baby shower, which was scheduled in a couple of weeks.

“You know, it would be better if I could know the gender, Bella,” Esme snickered. “I want to make my first grandchild something special.”

“Esme, you’ll find out when everyone else does,” I said, pushing the tray away. I shifted, my back barking. “Did you call Jimmy?”

“I did. He’s worried, sweetie,” Esme murmured.

“It’s just muscle strain,” I retorted. I got up, gripping my back as I waddled to the bathroom. I peed and washed my hands. I looked up, wrinkling my nose. Most women have that pregnant ‘glow.’ I did not. I looked sallow, sickly. The only thing that improved was my hair. It was thick with a soft curl. I shook my head, waddling back out and sitting down on the chair next to my bed.

“You okay?” Esme asked.

“Just my back. Laying down makes it tight,” I shrugged. “Can you put that heating pad behind me?”

“Sure, Bella,” Esme nodded, sliding the pad between my back and the chair. “Better?”

I smiled at her, nodding slowly. “Did you have back pains?”

“When I was pregnant, everything hurt. I’m tiny, like you, and both of my boys were big,” Esme chuckled. “Edward was nearly nine pounds with a gigantic head. I had to have stitches.”

“Ugh, no,” I whimpered. “And Emmett?”

“I had a C-section with him. The cord was wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply. They had to get him out quickly,” Esme explained. “He was a little over ten pounds.”

I was quiet, looking down at my eternity band that Edward had given me when my fingers had swollen too much for me to wear my wedding set. “What if I’m not a good mom?”

“Why would you say that?” Esme growled.

“My mom … she sucks as a human being. She never really was a _mom_ ,” I shrugged. “I never had a mother, per se. You’re the closest thing I’ve had and I only got you in the past couple of years. My mom, she was a blood-sucking leech. When she divorced my dad? She sucked him dry. When he died? She moved her talons to me. Never once did she care about me or my well-being. It was all about lining her pockets.”

“Bella, you are nothing like that,” Esme said, taking my hand. “I don’t know if you know this, but Edward did tell us about how you met and his _indecent_ proposal.”

“He did?” I squeaked. _Fuck me sideways._ “Esme, don’t hate me. What started as a ‘business proposition’ morphed into something real.”

“I know that, Bella,” Esme chuckled. “I see the love between you and my son. You both adore each other. The love you share? It transcends everything. When Edward was taken and you went in, claiming rite of vengeance? I knew that you were not going anywhere. I also know that you love my son for who he is and not because he’s the third richest man in the city.”

“He could be dirt poor and I’d still love him,” I whispered. “His job terrifies me, at times, but I know that he’s inherently a good man. The fact that he changed the focus of the Consortium?”

“This movement has been in the works for years,” Esme nodded, giving me a tender smile. “Edward’s abduction just fast-tracked it. Having your own family betray you? It puts a different spin on your view of life.” She looked at me, her green eyes piercing through mine. “And you are nothing like your mom. She’s not a mother. She was merely an incubator for you. Some women are born to be moms. Others? Not so much. If I had to guess, she got pregnant because that was expected of her. Do you remember her being loving toward you at all?”

“No, not really. My dad was the person who I turned to if I needed anything,” I shrugged. “He was both mother and father. Plus, Uncle Jimmy was around, too.” I pursed my lips. “Usually, my mother shows up, begging for money. I haven’t heard from her in a couple of years. Not that I’m complaining, though …”

“Maybe she found happiness?” Esme suggested.

“Unlikely. My mom gets off on being miserable and making the people around her miserable,” I snorted. “Last I heard, she was going through a divorce from a baseball player. She cheated on him, or something. I don’t know. It’s not like I actively try to reach out to her. I don’t want to be reminded that my father is dead or that she abhors my very existence.” I shifted, my back twitching. “Can I … I’d rather not talk about her. Plus, I’m getting tired.”

“Do you want to go back to bed?” Esme asked. “Carlisle? Can you help me?”

He nodded, helping me to my feet and into bed. I rolled to my side with a pillow between my legs. The lights were lowered and I watched television until my eyelids drooped. I drifted to sleep as Carlisle’s cell phone went off.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Edward_ **

Arriving at the warehouse, I went inside with Felix by my side and Liam covering my flank. I heard yelling inside, a combination of English and Spanish. With purposeful strides, I made my way through the aisles of guns and technology. Jasper was snarling at five men, tied up to a pole in the warehouse. I recognized them as being a members of a local gang, trying steal from us. More than likely, they were initiates, doing recon on our property.

“What’s going on?” I asked, stalking my way to where the thugs we’re being held.

“Trespassers,” Jasper said. “And thieves.”

I bit back a growl. I was pulled away from my wife for something that Jasper clearly could have handled. “You were trying to steal from me, _papi?_ ” He swore at me in Spanish, spitting at my feet. “Attractive, asshole.”

“You stole from us,” he growled.

“Oh, sure,” I deadpanned. “I stole from you. So, you had to weasel your way into our _locked_ warehouse to take back what you thought was yours? I don’t think so, fucker.” I sauntered over to the mouthy asshole. “Who gave you the orders to steal from me?”

“No one, old man,” he growled, narrowing his black eyes at me. “I knew you were stealing from West Side Hustlers.”

“West Side Hustlers … real original,” I snorted. I sat down, straddling a folding chair. “Now, my lieutenant called me because of this bullshit. He wouldn’t have done that unless you posed a significant threat, _amigo_. Why did he call me?” I blinked to Jasper, who was standing with his arms crossed. His blue eyes were filled with anger, hatred and it was all directed to the fucktards sitting in my warehouse. I pulled out my gun, shooting the mouth piece in the kneecap.

“MOTHER FUCKER!!!” he screamed, collapsing onto his good knee.

“Who else wants to feel the pain?” I asked, blinking to other guys. “You?” I aimed my gun to the youngest member of the five men. He couldn’t be older than twenty and his eyes were wide with terror. The acrid scent of urine filled the area. “You don’t need your arm.”

“Please, _señor_ ,” he cried, shaking his head. I aimed carefully, trying to shatter this asshole’s shoulder with my bullet.

“We were told to blow this place up,” said a third man.

“Shut up, Jose,” growled the first guy.

“I didn’t want my brother to be involved in this, Alejandro,” Jose snapped. “You dragged him along and now he’s being threatened, you fucker.” Jose blinked to me. “My brother, Levi, he’s not even in the gang. He never wanted to be in it.”

“Levi, why are you here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the boy.

“We need money, _señor_ ,” he whispered. “My mama is sick.”

“So, blowing up my warehouse will get you the money you need?” I sneered.

“Stealing everything first, selling what’s inside and then exploding it,” Jose muttered. “Framing you for the explosion.”

“This is where your idea is flawed, my friend,” I snorted,  getting up from my seat. I walked to a box, tossing it onto the ground. Using my knife, I opened it and inside, there was nothing but packing peanuts. “This is a decoy. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to have a warehouse, like this, filled with military-grade weapons and illegal tech? There’s some inventory in here, but not enough for you to make a profit.” I blinked to Jasper. His lips were pursed. I held my gun level, killing Alejandro with a single gunshot to his forehead. “I trust you to be able to handle the rest of this?”

“What do you want us to do with the rest of the West Side Hustlers?” Jasper asked.

“Make sure they don’t talk,” I answered. “And torch this place. Framing the Hustlers.” I looked at Jose, who was trembling. Levi was crying almost hysterically. “You forced my hand. Don’t fuck with me again.” I blew out a  breath. “Set Jose and Levi loose. They need to send the message to their leaders. After you do that, leave Chicago. You don’t? I will finish what I started and you will not be alive. Your sick mama will have to bury her two boys.”

“Yes, _señor_ ,” Jose whispered, nodding fervently.

I turned on my heel, stalking toward the exit. Jasper ran up, sliding to a stop in front of me. “Boss, you’re leaving them alive?  And you’re torching this place? This is the most convenient location to get product out to the suburbs.”

“You’re questioning my decision? You’re the one who called me out here. You have the authority to do whatever is needed for the Consortium. I trust you with these decisions, but now you’re questioning me?” I growled. “My wife is in the hospital. I should be with her.”

“I’m sorry, Boss,” Jasper sighed, scrubbing is face. “It’s just that you would have killed them all before. Take no prisoners. No second chances. Jose and Levi are just as complicit as Alejandro.”

“Really?” I asked, arching a brow. “Levi was dragged here. He didn’t want to be a part of this shit. And this was a wakeup call for Jose.” I blew out a breath. “I got a second chance, Jas, after I was abducted. Yes, I can be a hard ass, but  situations like that?”

“I get it,” Jasper muttered. “I’m sorry, Boss.” He looked up, biting his lip. “Are you sure you want to torch this?”

“This place is no longer secure, Jasper. We’ll find another warehouse that will better suit our needs. Make sure it looks like an accident so we can get the insurance payout.”

“Got it, Boss. We’ll get a cleanup crew here,” Jasper replied. “I apologize for questioning your decision. It is your choice about how we handle things. I called you for a reason. I shouldn’t …” He shook his head, turning away and walking back to where the guys were being held. I heard two more gunshots, along with some screaming. Jasper prattled in Spanish, essentially telling Levi and Jose that if they cross us again, they’d beg for death.

“You want to go, Boss?” Felix asked.

“Back to the hospital,” I murmured. Looking down at my clothes, they had some blood splatter from Alejandro’s murder. “After we stop at the house. The evidence needs to be destroyed and I need to shower.”

“I’ll do that, Boss,” Felix nodded.

“Thanks, Felix. And when Bella’s out of the hospital, you’re on her until we know her mother is gone for good,” I said. “I don’t trust Renee.”

“Agreed. I read the file while I was waiting for you at the hospital. She’s fucking nuts, man,” Felix grumbled. “Also, Boss, don’t forget that trip to New York.”

“What?” I growled. “Not now.”

“You’re not scheduled to leave until early next week, Boss,” Felix explained. “You need to meet up with Anthony to discuss the New York operations.”

“God damn it,” I hissed. “I don’t want to leave Bella, Felix. It’s … she’s pregnant.”

“I think Bella is well aware that she’s pregnant,” Felix snickered. “And she’s so strong, Boss. The baby is not due for another three months.”

“Eh, the doctor may have been wrong. The baby’s bigger than anticipated. Instead of six months pregnant, Bella may be closer to seven months pregnant,” I explained. I shook my head as Felix drove us back to the house. “I’m excited to meet my baby, but terrified that I won’t really get to know him. With what I do … what if I die?”

“Boss, you survived that hell,” Felix said. “We won’t let anything else happen to you, to Bella or to your baby.”

“You say that, but there aren’t any sort of guarantees,” I whispered.

“There aren’t. I was lost when Demetri died. You saw that. He was my brother, my best friend, but it was your family, this organization, that saved me. It was you, Bella and your support that got me out of that darkness. I vowed my life to protect you, Boss. You, Bella, the baby and your family …” Felix said, blinking over to me for a few moments. “You’re a good man. A great man and I’m honored to consider you a friend.”

“Me, too, Felix. We’re lucky to have you in our organization,” I said, squeezing his shoulder.

“As we’re lucky to have you as the leader of our organization,” he smiled. “Now, let me get you back to your wife, Boss.”

“The sooner, the better.”

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Detective Maas_ **

Sitting in a bar, I was trying to forget my problems. The watered-down whiskey barely even touched it. I was nowhere closer to figuring out who murdered my sister. In fact, I was more confused than anything. I had the autopsy results of those bodies inside that building. The bodies were Royce King and Stephan Romani. Both men, prior to being burned in that fire, had been murdered. Both of them had gunshot wounds, but the bullets were not inside the bodies.

Which meant no forensics.

I couldn’t even tell what caliber of gun killed the men. The bodies were too far decomposed, distorting the entry wounds.

What was more confusing was that DNA from Royce, along with DNA from six other men, not identified in the database, was found inside my sister. When her body was found, there was no indication that she’d been sexually assaulted.

Was she Royce’s lover?

Was she raped?

Did Royce lie to me?

_Don’t back down now, Maas. Royce kept your pockets lined and helped you with your financial woes. He’d never do that to my baby sister._

_Never._

_Royce was a decent guy._

_Right?_

“Another one,” I barked to Elliott, the bartender.

“Maas, you okay to drive?” Elliott asked.

“I’m fine,” I growled. “Another one.”

“You drink another one, I’m calling you a cab, Maas,” Elliott growled.

“Or, he could just come back to my hotel room with me,” purred a woman at the other end of the bar. I slid my eyes over to her. She had on a silver sequined dress that was far too short for a woman her age. She eased off the stool, sauntering toward me. As she got closer, I could tell that when she was younger, she was once pretty. Now? She looked _used_. She was older than my forty years, but I couldn’t pinpoint how much older. She’d had numerous plastic surgeries, distorting her features. “You’re handsome and sitting by your lonesome. I don’t see a ring and you’re too good-looking to be single. I’m Renee.”

I took her hand in mine. It was fragile and cold. I blinked to her, smiling warmly. “It’s a pleasure, Renee. I’m Peter.”

“May I join you, Peter?” she cooed, not waiting for an answer as she sat down on the stool next to me. “Now, why does a handsome man like you have to drown himself in whiskey?”

“I’m grieving my sister,” I said. “My baby sister.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Peter,” she breathed, pressing her hand to her chest. “How did she die?”

“She was murdered,” I growled. “She barely started her life and it was snuffed out.”

“How old was she?”

“She just turned twenty-three. My parents had her late in life. Mom thought she was done with having babies, but Charlotte was born, much to my father’s chagrin,” I chuckled. “Unfortunately, Charlotte was all I had left in the world.”

“Your parents?”  Renee asked.

“Dad died of lung cancer and Mom, she drank herself to death, unable to cope with his loss,” I sighed. “I have one other brother, but we’re not close.” I turned to look at her, smiling seductively. “What about you? What brings you to Chicago? Visiting family?”

She scoffed, her nose wrinkled. “I tried.”

I furrowed my brow, feigning concern. “Explain, beautiful.”

She pouted, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her own glass of wine. “I’m estranged from my daughter. When my husband divorced me …my husband, who was a Chicago police detective … he poisoned her against me. I tried to reach out to her for years and again, through _her_ husband and he threw me out of his office like I was trash.”

“Who was your ex? I may know him,” I said. “I’m also a detective.” I flashed my badge, which was clipped to my belt, next to my service weapon.

She gave me a Mona Lisa smile. “I knew there was a reason why I was attracted to you, Peter. You have that protective, powerful air. Just like my ex. He made me feel safe, happy, but confounded me when he asked for a divorce, saying that we were irreparably damaged. He sued for full custody of our daughter, which he got.” She shook her head, taking another sip of her wine. “Anyway, my ex-husband’s name was Charlie Swan.”

“I do know of him,” I nodded. “He was one of the best detectives on the force before he got sick. I worked one case with him when I was a beat cop.”

“He was a great cop, but an awful husband. He was so focused on work and not working on _us_ ,” Renee shrugged. “He was also vindictive during the divorce, stealing my baby girl away. My Isabella …”

 _Swan … Charlie Swan  … HOLY FUCK! Renee is Isabella Cullen’s mother. Talk about divine providence!_ “Who is Isabella’s husband?”

“Some evil tyrant named Edward Cullen,” Renee snarled. “I went to meet with him, pleading to see my daughter and he adamantly refused, Peter. He said that Isabella doesn’t want to see me. Charlie poisoned her. I love my daughter and I want to see her. Can you do something? I want to see my baby girl.”

“I think I may be able to help you, Renee,” I said, giving her a sexy grin. “Why don’t we get out of here? You said you have a hotel room?” She bit her lip and nodded. “Lead the way, beautiful.” I put some cash down on the bar, paying Elliott for our drinks. Renee took my hand and led me to a seedy hotel across the street. I’d been in that hotel, busting drug dealers and prostitution rings in there. She led me into a dingy room, looking at me like I was her savior.

_Unlikely, honey. You’re going to be the key to bring down Edward Anthony Cullen and his bitch wife._

It looks like my luck is turning …

**A/N: A shorter chapter. I do apologize for that, but this was how it was originally planned. I’m also certain you don’t want to read Renee/Peter schmexy times. Um, ewwww …**

**Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. You can access it from my profile. You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79’s Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I’m on twitter, too: tufano79. Up next will be the baby shower, Edward’s trip to New York City, and a jump in time … for the birth of the baby. Any thoughts on baby’s name?**

**Leave me some loving!! Thank you so much for reading! See you in a couple of weeks!**

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 4

**You would think that with only three stories on the burner, I’d be able to churn out chapters like nobody’s business. Alas, no. That’s not the case. I’m struggling with writing. My muse is being a fickle, nasty bitch. _Curse you, lack of motivation!_ I’m trying to write, but I haven’t completed a chapter in almost three weeks, only writing a handful of words. It’s frustrating, to be honest. Grrr … **

**I’m forcing myself to write … I apologize for the suckiness of the chapters … _Sigh_**

**Up next will be the baby shower, Edward’s trip to New York City, and a jump in time … for the birth of the baby. Any thoughts on baby’s name?**

**Chapter Four**

**_Bella_ **

I was sitting in my bedroom, curling my hair. It was the morning of our baby shower. I was excited to get out of the house. Edward had been extra _clingy_ lately. He was always nearby, touching me. I didn’t mind, to be honest. I was a little anxious with his sudden departure when I was in the hospital. The only time we were apart was when he had to attend to work meetings in the city. In the month since my back injury, he’d be gone for a couple of hours and returned as quickly as humanly possible. The house, however, was better protected than Fort Knox.

Something was up.

He wouldn’t tell me, wanting to focus his attention to our baby and on our relationship.

I wanted to press him, but I was more concerned about the tiny being that loved to use my bladder as a punching bag and my kidneys as target practice.

“ _Dolce_ ,” came the honeyed voice of my husband. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just putting finishing touches on my hair, Mobward,” I snorted, shifting on the lustrous bench in our bedroom. “I’m almost done.”

He came into the bedroom. He was dressed impeccably in a dark charcoal suit and some sleek glasses. I bit my lip, watching my sexy husband glide toward me. I shifted on the bench. “You look perfect, _cara_ ,” he smiled, crooked and perfect.

“I feel like I look like an elephant,” I grumbled, putting my hand on growing belly. “Who thought that me wearing grey would be a smart idea?”

“Bella, you look gorgeous. And Lauren did a wonderful job in choosing your dress,” Edward smirked. He reached behind his back, putting a small yellow bag on the dressing table. “I wanted to get you something to wear for today’s shower.”

I gestured to my dress and ballet flats. “I’m dressed, _Capo_.”

“You’re missing accessories,” he chuckled, pushing the bag closer to me.

“What did you get me?” I whispered.

“Something sparkly,” he whispered back. I turned off the curling iron and picked up the bag. I pulled out two sleek ebony boxes. I opened the smaller of the two, gasping quietly. “I told you.”

“Edward … they’re beyond gorgeous,” I breathed. Nestled in a black satin pillow were a pair of canary yellow diamond earrings. They were radiant cut and glittered effortlessly under the lights of our bedroom. “I can’t …”

“You can, _dolce_ ,” he said, cupping my cheek. “What’s mine is yours and I want you to wear these. They coordinate with our baby nursery theme.”

I giggled anxiously, nodding dumbly as I noticed the earrings did match the grey and yellow color scheme we’d chosen for the baby’s nursery and play room. “Thank you, Edward. I don’t know what I did to warrant such an extravagant gift.”

“You deal with my bullshit,” he snorted. “And you’re pregnant with our baby, our son. I will spend the rest of my life lavishing you with tokens of my love.”

“I’d rather you just be there for us, Daddyward,” I said, blinking up to him, tears brimming in my eyes. “I can’t lose you like … I thought I was  going to lose you before our wedding  … I can’t … Edward …”

“I know, Bella,” he said, crouching down in front of me. “We’re taking every precaution, covering our bases.” He stared at me. His green eyes were searching mine. “I never want you to be as upset as you were when I was taken. And I promise to be a part of our children’s lives. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t promise that,” I whispered. “What if the cops … Edward, you are still a mob boss.”

“I am, but we’ve got cops on the take,” he said reassuringly. “Including the commissioner. To the outside world, I’m a self-made billionaire. Only our inner circle knows the truth.” He handed me the other ebony box. “It allows me to spoil my wife, my son. I want nothing more than to give you the world.”

“I’ll just settle for a husband and father being there for us,” I smiled, kissing his soft, pink lips. “I love you, Edward.”

“I love you, too, _cara_ ,” he murmured. “You’re not done with your presents. It’s a set.”

“Holy crap!” I squeaked, opening the larger of the two boxes. On the black satin pillow, there was a necklace with another radiant cut canary diamond. “Edward …”

“The appropriate response would be, ‘I love them, sexy husband of mine. I can’t wait to wear them and flaunt our exorbitant wealth to our family. And when we get home, I’ll wear only these beautiful pieces of bling while you fuck me stupid.’ Go ahead … try it out. I’ll wait,” he quipped, his eyes dancing.

“You’re an idiot,” I deadpanned, rolling my eyes. He smirked at me, arching a brow over his glasses. “But, thank you. I do love them. Can you help me with the necklace?”

“I can’t fuck you stupid?” he pouted.

“I think I lost brain cells this morning,” I laughed. “I can still feel you.” He helped put the necklace around my neck. When he was done, I put in the earrings. I stood up, grimacing as my back gave a twinge. “Yep, I can still feel you, baby.” He offered me his arm and we left the bedroom. Slowly, we made our way down the stairs. Felix and Jacob were waiting in the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones. “Plotting world domination?”

“Fantasy football,” Felix smirked. “Trying to get one last trade before the opening kickoff.”

“Who’s winning?” Edward asked, pulling out our coats. “In the league.”

“Ironically enough, Leah,” Jacob snorted. “She picked her team based on the numbers from their jerseys and the colors she liked the best. She’s whooping all our asses.”

“Good for her,” I giggled. “Who needs statistics and all that baloney when it’s all based on color combinations. Leah’s onto something, let me tell you! Who’s in second place?”

“Me,” Jacob responded. “But Felix is trying to steal my quarterback since his is on the disabled list. Ain’t happening, brother.” He pressed a button on his phone and Felix groaned. “Do you need me to pull the car around, Boss?”

“That would be great. Also, check in with Jasper and Liam, asking if Alinea is secure,” Edward said, his voice taking on a cool tenor.

“Already did that. We’re all good. Alice and Esme are already there, putting finishing touches on the decorations,” Felix nodded. “Emmett is with them, along with Jasper, Liam and Seth.”

“What about my father?” Edward asked.

“He’s riding over with Billy, Jimmy, Sue, and Leah,” Jacob explained.

“Does he have protection?” Edward growled.

“My father may be in a wheelchair, but he’s still a dead shot, Boss,” Jacob said, arching a brow. “He would give up his life for your father.”

Edward was tense as he nodded. His hands were clenched into rigid fists. Jacob didn’t say much as he left the kitchen to pull our bullet-proof car around to the front of the house. Felix went to get his coat while I waddled in front of my stiff and pissed off husband. “Edward, what’s going on? I’m so confused.”

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, cupping my cheek, but his movements were still jilted. He leaned forward, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead. “I’m just on edge.”

“I can tell, Mobward. I wish you’d tell me why,” I grumped. “Is there a threat? On the Consortium?”

“No, _dolce_ , there isn’t,” he said, his hands moving to my ginormous baby belly. “I promise to tell you. After today. After the baby shower. Today is about you and our son. Not my irrational fears about life. Not so irrational, really. I just want you safe, happy, _protected_.”

“Edward Anthony,” I growled. “Tell me. Please? Am I in danger?”

“At the moment? No,” he said, brushing his lips over mine. “We will be, if we’re late. My mom want nothing but the best for her first grandchild.”

“You’re going to be pummeled with my shoe, Edward,” I sighed. “But, you’ll promise me that you’ll tell me? When we get home?”

“I promise, _cara_ ,” he whispered, holding me close to his muscular body. I returned his embrace until we saw Jacob pull the SUV to front circle of our home. “Now, let’s get you into your coat. It’s chilly today. The weatherman predicted snow flurries today.”

“It’s only October,” I grumbled. “And didn’t we have eighty-degree temperatures last week?”

“It’s Chicago,” he laughed, wrapping my scarf around my neck. I rolled my eyes and slid my purse over my shoulder as Edward put on his overcoat. We walked out, setting the security system and clambering into the back of the SUV. He took my hand, threading our fingers together as Jacob pulled away from the house. Felix was behind us in a separate SUV, undoubtedly for the gifts for the baby.

_Or for a quick getaway, if needed._

I prayed we didn’t need that. But, with Edward’s job, it wasn’t completely out of the question.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Edward_ **

We drove to Alinea. I tried not to laugh at the irony that Bella and I were having the baby shower at the same restaurant that Dad gave me the marriage ultimatum almost three years ago. Bella was dozing off, leaning against my shoulder, as we drove down the highway to the city. My mom sent a text, explaining that the guests had begun to arrive and were anxiously waiting for the guests of honor to make their appearance. I texted back that we were ten minutes away.

Pulling up to the restaurant, I hated to wake up my sleepy wife. She’d been having difficulties getting comfortable. Her back was still bothering her and she was always hot. She always kicked off the blankets and slept in nothing but a pair of panties. It was the main part of the reason why we’d had some insane sexy times this morning. All her bare, creamy skin was on display for me to touch and to taste.

And I did.

Until she screamed in ecstasy and soaking me with her release.

Pregnancy sex was messy, sensual and so much fun.

I don’t know if I could survive the six weeks after the baby’s birth. Bella and I are quite sexually starving for each other. The longest time we went without sex was after my abduction. When we did make love after that, we were insatiable for each other, unable to stay clothed and physically separated for very long when we were together.

“ _Cara_ ,” I cooed. “We’re here.”

“Just a few more minutes,” she muttered, pressing her hot body against mine. “You’re comfy, Mobward.”

“As much as I love being your pillow, _dolce_ , we’re at the restaurant,” I chuckled, kissing her forehead. She opened her eyes and she wrinkled her nose adorably. She swiped at her face, trying wake herself up. “You okay?”

“You just wore me out, Edward,” Bella snickered. “You made me feel so good, but …”

“I understand, Bella,” I replied. “I feel the same way. I’m banking our schmexy good times since once our little one is born …”

“Oh, Mobward,” Bella laughed, her hands going to her belly. “You are too much. We’re both going to be exhausted when the baby comes. Just because I’ve got tits doesn’t mean that you’re not getting out of midnight feeding duty, bub.”

“I never said I wasn’t,” I said, arching a brow over my glasses. “Now, let’s get spoiled by our family. This is the first grandchild on the Cullen side of the family. The prince of the Cullen Consortium is going to make bank.”

“Really, Edward?” Bella deadpanned.

“Really, Bella,” I snickered, shrugging as we got out of the car and helping Bella onto her feet. We made our way into the restaurant, which was packed with our friends, family and associates of the Consortium. It was decorated elegantly with gray, cream and soft buttery yellow. A few of our associates I was supposed to meet in New York for that scheduled meeting, but with Bella’s back issues and my paranoid tendencies with Bella’s mother (though, _they_ didn’t know that that), they were gracious to reschedule until after the baby shower and to have the meeting in Chicago.

Once inside Alinea, Bella slipped into the role of a mob wife, gracious and poised as she hugged everyone as we made our way through the room. Most of the people we’d seen at our wedding and had been a blur for both of us, Bella in particular. She was still reeling from my abduction and injuries, but had hugged and kissed everyone, some of which she’d just met. Now? She was doing the same, thanking them for coming to our baby’s first event as the heir of the Consortium.

“She’s born for this, Edward,” Dad said, squeezing my shoulder. “She’s more poised than your mother was at this point.”

“Don’t let Mom hear that,” I snorted.

“It was your mother who pointed it out,” Dad smirked, pulling me away from the crowd. “Jasper told me about the warehouse off Paulina. Burning it to the ground was the best course of action.”

“A damn shame,” I said, thinning my lips. “Are you going to question my decision, too? Jasper could have handled that call, Dad.”

“No, Son. I’m not. I was surprised that Jasper didn’t,” Dad sighed. “I love Jasper like a son. Don’t get me wrong, but he knew the situation with Bella. He should have asserted his dominance. Him calling you made him look weak in the eyes of the West Side Hustlers. It made _us_ look weak. Yes, you handled them and made a decision, but it should have been Jasper.”

“What do you want me to do with him, Dad? I chose him to be my right-hand man,” I whispered. “Did you have this kind of problem when you ascended?”

“Not with my crew questioning my authority, but with constant attacks on the Consortium. When Royce and Stephan were killed, our biggest threats were eliminated. You allied yourself with the Volturi, as scattered as they may be, and with that you were granted a great deal of respect from within the organization, enemies and allies alike,” Dad explained. “And your biggest asset is the woman who is being flirted with by Anthony.”

“Man is freaking relentless,” I snorted. I watched him as he put his hands on Bella’s belly, speaking to the baby and making my wife laugh. “I’ll talk to Jasper after I throttle Anthony for hitting on my wife. Where’s Nina? She keeps him in check, dammit.” Dad laughed, hugging me and we made our way to Bella and Anthony, who was continuing in embarrassing himself as he made googly eyes and baby sounds to my wife’s baby belly. “Dude, you sound like a crazy man.”

“The baby responds to this shit,” Anthony said, giving me a glower.

“It’s true. The baby is doing somersaults in my belly,” Bella giggled. “You should try it. He’s singing some Italian lullaby.”

“No, he isn’t,” I sighed. “He’s talking in gibberish.” Anthony just shrugged, stepping back and shaking my hand. “You look good, man.”

“Thanks,” Anthony smiled. “I wish I could say the same about you.”

“Anthony,” Bella grumbled. “Be nice. You just performed some voodoo on my kid and now, I have to pee.” She rolled her eyes and waddled toward the bathroom.

“Seriously, Edward. You do look good. Happy,” Anthony said. “I’m also looking forward to our meeting, but you will need to come to New York City. We’ve got a number of tech shipments that need your discerning eye.”

“Can’t it wait until after the baby’s born?” I asked, hating to be separated from Bella so close to her due date.

“I’m sorry, Edward, but no,” Anthony sighed, scrubbing his face. “Along with the tech you need to inspect, there are a few men who were not as _pleased_ or as understanding about your wife’s delicate condition. They are taking it as a personal affront that you’re neglecting your duties as the head of the family. You can’t take time out of your schedule to …”

“I get it,” I sighed. “I’ll make arrangements later on this week. I’ve got a few meetings I need to attend to, but I can make it after Wednesday. I’m going to take the private jet …”

“Good, I’ll fly with you,” Anthony nodded. “I’m very sorry, Edward. I really am …”

“No, I get it,” I breathed. “I’ll make arrangements to fly out early Thursday morning but I need to have my plane at the ready. You understand that, right?”

“That, I do,” Anthony snorted. “In case your baby mama goes into labor? Even the nastiness mother fuckers would understand you wanting to be there for the birth of your first child. Now, I need booze. You want booze? Let’s get some  booze.”

“Why are you trying to get me drunk, Anthony?” I asked.

“Because, fatherhood will kick your ass, Edward,” Anthony sighed, giving me a pained smile. “Kick. Your. Ass. You don’t know what is going to hit you, brother.”

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Bella_ **

Seated next to Edward, we ate our meal. I eyed the ginormous table filled presents for our baby. The extra SUV we brought would not be big enough for all of the gifts. A semi would be more appropriate. I shifted in my seat, needing to pee again.

“You okay, _cara?_ ” Edward asked me.

“The baby is doing a number on my bladder,” I sighed. “This is the fourth time in an hour. Don’t get me wrong. I love the baby, but I’ll be over the moon when I don’t have to pee every other minute.” I stood up and felt a bit dizzy, gripping Edward’s shoulder.

“Bella?” he whispered, his voice swirling with concern. “Sit back down.”

“I’m fine,” I said, waving my hand. Edward arched a brow, sliding his arm around my waist. I leaned heavily against him as I got my bearings. By the time we got to the bathroom, I was finally  on solid ground. “Mobward, relax.”

“ _Dolce_ , you were as white as a ghost and unsteady on your feet. Will you be okay for a few minutes while I get Alice?” Edward asked, his eyes penetrating mine.

“Okay, baby,” I said. He pressed a rough kiss on my lips as I sat down on the bench outside of the bathroom. Alice came back with Edward. She crouched in front of me, checking my pulse and blood pressure. “Alice, I’m feeling better.”

“Your blood pressure is a little elevated, Bella,” she said. “After today, you’re on bed rest. MEANING, no more schmexy times and only leave the bed to pee or to go to the doctor. Pretty much your husband will be your slave, catering to your every whim.”

“Well, I have to leave for a business trip in a couple of days, Alice,” Edward said, his nose wrinkled.

“Looks like you’ll have an on-call doctor,” Alice retorted, smiling at me. “Now, let’s get you in the bathroom and then we’ll hurry this shower along. Your health is paramount, woman.” She helped me into the bathroom. After that, we went into the restaurant and Edward had arranged for the gifts to be opened, much to the chagrin of our guests. The  servers were distributing tiny cakes.

I sat down next to Edward. He kissed me sweetly. “On behalf or Bella, me and the baby, we want to  thank you all for being here and for your generosity. Our child will obviously want for nothing.”

“We would like to know if you’re having a boy or a girl,” Uncle Jimmy asked, his arm draped over Sue’s shoulder.

“That we can tell you. We wanted to wait until the shower to do the gender reveal,” I smiled, taking Edward’s hand. “If you want to enjoy your dessert, you’ll find out what we’re having.”

Esme squealed first and loudest, clapping excitedly. “A baby boy! You’re having a baby boy!” She stood up, running toward us, hugging me tightly and kissing my cheeks. She turned to Edward, who was smothered in more kisses.

“Mom,” Edward laughed. “Calm down! I know you’re excited, but you need to relax.”

“I’m just so happy,” she breathed. “A grandson! Carlisle! We’re getting a grandson!”

“Esme, love, come sit back down,” Carlisle snickered. He stood up, guiding Esme back to her seat. She was still vibrating with excitement as we began opening presents.

Both Lauren and Alice kept track of what we received, marking down the exorbitant gifts from our friends, family and Edward’s associates. Some things were welcomed and needed. Those came from women who were mothers or in the medical field. Alice got me a state-of-the-art breast pump. “For Edward to help with those late-night feedings, Bells!” Alice chirped. “And you will help, Edward Cullen.”

“Sweet,” I sang.

“I fully intend to, Dr. Whitlock,” Edward laughed.

The other gifts were some fancy, hoity-toity gifts that I would never use on my child, but I thanked our guests graciously. The presents that were too fancy or not useful would be stored in a safe place until they were needed or if those guests came to visit. A few of the gifts were some ugly baby clothes that I’d never choose for my child. Who would willingly dress their kid as a clown.

Clowns are fucking creepy, man.

No. Thank. You.

Two hours later, the presents were opened and Felix, along with Jasper and Seth, loaded up the rental truck (which had been arranged while we were eating). I was anxious to get out of my dress clothes and take a nap. Alice was still concerned about my blood pressure. It hadn’t gone up, but it hadn’t gone down either.

Once we were back at the house, Edward helped me into some pajamas and I just crashed. I was more exhausted than I  anticipated and I loved, _LOVED_ curling around my pillows. I’d rather snuggle up to Edward, but pillows would do.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

**_Edward_ **

_New York City_

“Thank you, again, Mr. Cullen,” said an associate of Anthony’s, Carlos. “I’m very pleased that you are happy with the product.”

“This could be very useful,” I nodded, looking at the drone Carlos had created. It was as smart as a drone could be.  It could be programmed for long-distance surveillance. It was silent and would be a great asset in protecting our properties. “I’m intrigued in your expertise, Carlos. What can I do to lure you away from Anthony? Move to Chicago?”

“Hey now,” Anthony grumbled. “My boy, Carlos, is my discovery. You can _borrow_ him, but I pay him quite handsomely and he’s quite loyal.”

“To both of you,” Carlos tittered anxiously. “Speaking of working … I have that information you wanted, Mr. Cullen. Mr. Anthony asked me to do some research about Amun Cairo?”

“He has been calling me. Nonstop,” I sighed. “What did you find, Carlos?”

“Don’t do it, sir,” Carlos said, shaking his head and reaching into his scruffy satchel. He tugged out a large file. “This is all I could find on him and this is just his FBI file.”

“You hacked into the FBI?” I asked, arching a brow. “That’s insane …”

“Carlos is a fucking genius,” Anthony beamed, like a proud father. “But, what about this Amun character? Why shouldn’t Edward go into business with Amun?”

“He’s the leader of a drug cartel. The help he needs is on foreign soil. You could become a target to Interpol. As of now? The Consortium is barely a blip on the international radar. As far as everyone knows, you’re an amazing venture capitalist and the youngest billionaire in the United States. And up until your wedding, the most eligible bachelor. It’s too risky, Mr. Cullen,” Carlos said.

“Okay, Carlos. I’m going to read this information about Amun,” I nodded, putting the file into my own bag. Carlos darted out of the office with a nervous wave. As he did that, my cell phone rang and it was a rival family. One I was hoping to form an alliance with. I arched a brow as I slid  my thumb across my phone screen. “McCarthy … it’s been too long.”

“Cullen, you fucker,” he snarled, his Irish accent ringing over the phone connection. “You’ve been encroaching on my turf. I don’t take kindly to that …”

“Your turf?” I asked, blinking to Anthony. “This is the first I’ve heard of this, McCarthy.”

“Bullshit. You’re in town and all of a sudden, the warehouse in Queens is off limits. That’s my turf, Cullen,” McCarthy said, his voice quiet, lethal.

Anthony passed me a deed. “Well, McCarthy, it looks like that warehouse is NOT your turf. I have a deed saying that it belongs to the Consortium,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Look, man, I don’t want to ruffle feathers ...”

“My little brother was taken from there,” McCarthy yelled. “Taken. He’s gone! I know it was you!”

I scribbled out a note onto the corner of the deed to Anthony. _McCarthy’s brother? Did you take him?_ Anthony shook his head. “We never saw him, McCarthy. But we can work together to find him.”

“I don’t want your help,” McCarthy retorted grumpily. “How would you help me?”

“Let’s meet up at the warehouse and we’ll come up with a plan of attack,” I said. “Michael, please? I want to help. If I  was involved in your brother’s disappearance, would I offer to help?”

“To cover up your tracks, yeah?” McCarthy said. “I don’t trust you, Cullen.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Michael,” I snapped. “But we don’t have to trust each other in order to ally to each other. You have a lucrative fight ring going on in the city. I’d love a part of the action.”

“What’s in it for us?”

“We’ll discuss _after_ we find your little brother,” I answered. “Now, let’s meet at the warehouse at eleven with an open mind. Bring three of your men and I’ll bring three of mine. You cool?”

“I’m not cool, but I’ll be there,” McCarthy growled, hanging up abruptly.

I hung up my phone, pinching my nose. “Talk to me about Michael McCarthy and the Irish Mob. Why do they believe you stole a warehouse from under their noses in Queens?”

“There are a number of warehouses that in Queens. We have about twenty, varying in size from the size of a store front to over twenty-five thousand square feet. There are a few warehouses that are owned by the Irish Mob, but not the one he accused us of stealing. I also heard of Patrick, Michael’s brother, being taken from a club near one of those addresses,” Anthony explained. “Bratva trying to make a play for the Irish Mob and their territory. They’re the ones trying to steal their turf.”

“Bratva?” I asked. “I thought that with Royce … with his death, they retreated back to Russia.”

“They’re still here, but several lieutenants are vying for Royce’s position. Winner takes all and it’s a kill or be killed type of competition,” Anthony growled. “They’ve been kidnapping powerful people in other organizations. It’s been sporadic, to be honest and it never even registered to us. We’re too strong and we haven’t been …”

“I want someone on you and your family, Anthony,” I said. “If we help McCarthy, we’ll have a target on our backs with the Bratva. We’ll get a new ally but gaining an old enemy.” I took off my glasses, running my hands through my hair. “I’m going to call my wife. We’re leaving here at ten and hopefully, saving Patrick from those Bratva monsters. Find out where …”

“Got it,” Anthony nodded. “I’ll have some of my guys do the leg work. Go check on Bella. Send her my love.”

“Also, get Carlos to do some of the computer voodoo to help with this search, Anthony. That kid is a gold mine,” I said. Anthony gave me a smile as I slipped my bag over my head.

I left the office and rode up to the penthouse inside the building. I stripped out of my suit and into a pair of black jeans and a black long-sleeved t-shirt. I dialed my wife, talking to her for over an hour and hearing about her day. She was bored, tired and sore as fuck. Mom had given Bella a pedicure, painting her toes a soft baby blue and Alice arranged for a prenatal massage, but my tiny wife was ready for our ginormous baby to be born. She also told me about her doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Before my trip, I was hopeful I’d be back in time, but with this extraction of McCarthy’s little brother, it may not be possible.

When I got off the phone with Bella, I called Alice to get a medical opinion about my wife’s condition. Alice said that bed rest had helped, but my son was not quite ready to be born. My wife was ready, but Bella’s body, however, was being stubborn, keeping him inside until he was fully cooked. It would be lucky if we get to Thanksgiving, but from what Alice explained, the baby may need to be delivered earlier due to the baby’s size and Bella’s petite stature. I wanted to leave New York when she said that, but Alice assured me that Bella was fine and my baby boy was still content to stay in his mother’s belly, at least until my return.

I was eating some dinner when the door opened. Jasper and Felix came inside, dressed in black and armed to the teeth. “You guys ready to find this McCarthy kid?” I asked.

“Carlos is seriously awesome,” Felix said, reading over the intel that was dug up on the McCarthy Clan and their connections to the Irish Mob. “We also got information on all of the douchebags who are trying to take over the Bratva after Royce’s little ‘accident’.”

“Where’s Anthony?” I questioned, blinking to Jasper.

“Finalizing protection for his family. He’ll be here in a little bit,” Jasper answered. “What’s the plan, Boss?”

“Have we figured out if Patrick was taken by the Bratva?” I replied.

“We have surveillance of Patrick being lured away from Onegin by a busty blonde woman,” Felix snorted, handing me a grainy picture. “There was another one taken by a red-light camera outside of an abandoned building that was an illegal casino, owned by the Bratva. Patrick looked stoned and was not seen leaving this building. He was here.”

“Our first step is to meet up with Michael and go to this building,” I said, pointing to the picture.

“And get into the underground club,” Anthony barked as he entered the penthouse. “A sex club, bordering on prostitution.” I felt myself blanch, remembering the last ‘sex club’ I was in and what had happened while I was there. “Edward, you okay? You’re look pale …”

“I’m fine,” I said, turning off my emotions and cracking my knuckles. I couldn’t focus on the torture that I endured. I walked over to the safe, unlocking it and pulling out weaponry, two semi-automatic hand guns, hunting knives and extra rounds of ammunition. I slid on a sleek Kevlar vest before putting on a black leather jacket. “Let’s fix this clusterfuck.”

Anthony, Jasper, Felix and I clambered into black SUV, driven by Felix. We drove to the warehouse in Queens, parking on the street. We were getting ready to get out of the car. “Wait,” Anthony said. “Carlos is going to disable the security cameras in the area. No incriminating evidence.” The lights flickered around us. “Now, we can go.”

“Did Carlos hack the power grid?” Jasper asked.

Anthony just grinned smugly as he slid out of the car. We walked to into the warehouse, seeing a tall man with a shock of red hair and an angry snarl on his face. There were even larger men surrounding him, protecting him and not being subtle about it. I stood taller, walking into the warehouse and trying to ignore the smells and sounds that brought me back to that moment where I was tortured for twenty-four hours straight. I buttoned my coat, walking deeper into the warehouse. “Michael,” I said, holding my hand out to shake. “I’ve been hoping to meet you face-to-face for a long time. I’ve heard nothing but …”

“Fuck you, Cullen,” Michael said, narrowing his green eyes at me.

“No, thanks. I’m married,” I said, giving him a snarky grin, but widening it to something darker. “Do you want the information about your brother?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Michael sneered. He scrubbed his face. “I’m sorry. My brother, he’s built and strong, but something is not right in his head. He’s too trusting … sees things in black and white. My mom called it something surrounding a spectrum.”

“He’s autistic,” I replied.

“That’s it,” Michael nodded. “He’s not a part of this life and never can be. He doesn’t understand this. He’s fucking brilliant, smarter than anything I’d ever known, but he’s not street smart.”

Jasper handed me a tablet. I zoomed in on Patrick’s face. “Is this Patrick?”

“Yeah. He likes blondes,” Michael said, his face pinched. “Are we heading there?”

“We’ve got some guys heading there to do some preliminary recon,” Anthony explained. “We have _history_ with the Bratva. We’re not exactly welcomed guests at the table.”

“We know what happened,” Michael replied quietly, blinking to me. “Royce was a monster. For real.”

“Royce is dead,” I said coldly.

“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” scoffed one of Michael’s associates.

“Sean, shut up!” Michael snapped.

“Boss,” Sean argued. “Royce … he … he ruined my sister. And now, the Bratva are fucking with your brother. They are without honor. They’re monsters. They make us look like kittens.”

“What did he do to your sister, Sean?” I asked.

“Whored her out and they drained her dry. She killed herself because of what happened to her,” Sean choked out, his pale face turning bright red. “When I went to identify her body, I didn’t recognize her. She was skin and bones, a junkie and …” His voice cracked. He shook his head, clenching his hands into tight fists. “And what they do to their fighters? It’s just as bad with fucked-up drugs and torture. The sooner we get Patrick, the better.”

“Let’s go,” Anthony said. “We’ve got the owner of the fight club right where we want him. It’s an abandoned building around the corner for Onegin.”

With a jerky nod from Michael and a low growl from Sean, we parted ways and got back into our cars, driving to the club. Felix hopped out of the SUV, along with another of one of Michael’s enforcers. They slipped into the club, coming back out ten minutes later. Felix handed me and Anthony tickets. “For entry into the fight club, Boss.”

“Edward, I don’t feel comfortable with you going into that room unprotected,” Jasper said.

“I’m not,” I retorted, blinking to Anthony. “I need you to be prepared to help Patrick, knock some heads. Felix, you and Jasper work with Sean and that other mook that’s working for Michael. We’ll go inside with Michael.”

“Got it, Boss,” Jasper nodded. “Be safe.”

Tucking the tickets into our pockets,  we got out of the SUV and met up with Michael. We walked down a dank alley to  a hidden doorway. Michael grabbed my arm. “Whatever you do, don’t kill my brother,” he hissed.

“We’re not going to kill him,” Anthony said. “We’re going to kill the assholes who took him.”

“Make a statement that you don’t fuck with the Consortium,” I sneered, holding out my hand to Michael. He looked at me, his green eyes harsh and angry. “We do this together, Michael. We make them pay.”

“We make them pay,”  he growled, whipping out a knife and slicing his palm. He handed it to me. I did the same, cutting along a scar. Once blood pooled on my palm, I took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “We’re blood brothers now, Cullen.” 

I nodded and we walked into the building. The smell of sweat, blood and pussy filled the air. A large man who barely spoke English accepted our tickets, unlocking the door and granting us entrance into hell. The building was large, an abandoned pool house and we were on an elevated platform, overlooking the main pit. It was large and covered with fenced-in cage, looking like an MMA ring. The center of the ring was stained with blood, some of it looking fresh. To the left, there were more fences with fighters sitting, waiting for their time in the ring. On the right, there were women, naked and some were being _used_. I wrinkled my nose as I watched the pure evil below.

“Sean’s sister was one of those girls,” Michael said, gesturing to the women who were being fucked by half-drunk, half-stoned men. “She was roofied and she never knew what was going on.”

“This is disgusting,” I growled.

“Our entrance to this den of disgusting cost us a $100 grand. Each,” Anthony huffed. “Plus, we have to bet on at least one fight, a $10K minimum.”

“We’re going to leave before we have to place that bet,” I explained.  “This was too much money to those assholes. We need to find your brother and get the hell out of dodge.”

“Agreed,”  Michael nodded. He cracked his knuckles, making his way down the stairs to the inside of the pool. He ignored the women and glared at where the fighters were being held. I followed him, keeping my hand on my gun at my hip. Anthony was behind me, walking casually, but he was on high alert. We sat down, waving off a scantily clad waitress, offering  expensive vodka shots. “I don’t see Patrick.”

“He’s not in the pen,” Anthony muttered.

“Who’s in charge of this cesspool of depravity?” I spat.

“His name is Gregor Antonov,” Anthony answered. He looked at the raised dais where a handsome man was seated, in a navy suit and long dark hair. Next to him, there was a beautiful blonde and behind him was his protection. “He’s smart and deadly.”

“Not too smart since he let three trained killers into his exclusive club,” I laughed. “I’m going to _place my bets_.”

“Edward,” Anthony hissed.

I got up and walked toward the pen, examining the fighters. I felt a presence next to me. I didn’t have to look to know  that it was Gregor. “You’re a long way from home, Mr. Cullen,” Gregor said, his voice accented and full of malice. “I’m shocked that you’d show your face in my fight club after what you did to Royce.”

“I didn’t do anything  to Royce, Gregor,” I purred, turning around and smiling at him wanly. “He did it to himself. He crossed my family and he got what he deserved. How are things in the Bratva? Still scurrying around trying to find a leader?”

“I’m close,” Gregor said, leaning against the pen and gazing at his doped up, steroid-filled fighters. “So very close.”

“No, you’re not,” I chuckled. “Do you know how many people are vying for the head of the organization?” I pulled out my gun, aiming it at his head. He sneered at me, blinking around and trying to get his goons to protect him. “They’re busy, Gregor.”

“What?” he snarled. He turned his head, seeing that Anthony and Michael had already killed his protection. “How? You’re going to die, Cullen.”

“No, I’m not,” I snickered darkly. “You’re going to get Patrick McCarthy.”

“He’s dead,” Gregor yelled. “He was a worthless sack of shit.” I cocked my gun, pressing  the barrel of it to his forehead. He cowered, holding his hands up. “He’s not. I swear.”

“Get him and you’ll just be maimed, asshat,” I hissed. He nodded. “Show me and no fucking funny business.” He backed away, walking toward a locked door. He unlocked it and led me down a set of rickety stairs.  There were more fighters down in the locker room. These fighters looked injured, or on the verge of death. It stunk to high heaven of body odor, urine and infection. “Great place you’ve got here, Antonov.”

“Fuck you,” he spat, reaching for something and swinging at me. It was a whip. I held up my arm, capturing the whip and tugging it out of his hands. With my other hand, I raised my weapon, shooting Gregor in the thigh. He screamed and fell to his knee. “CULLEN!”

“Where’s Patrick?” I asked, pressing the gun to his temple. Gregor grunted, reaching into his pocket and producing another key. With a shaking hand, he pointed to another door. Michael came down the stairs, his face splattered with blood. I handed the key to Michael. “He’s in there.” Michael stomped to the door, unlocking it and swearing loudly. “What is he swearing about, Gregor?”

“Nothing,” Gregor grumbled.

“You have another leg, or should I go for the shoulder?” I sneered, shooting him in the fleshy part of his shoulder. “What. Is. He. Swearing. About?”

“The men in that room …” Gregor said, snot sliding down his face. “They are cannon fodder. Practice for the fighters. Kind of like the injured, broken dogs in dog fighting. They don’t stand a chance in the ring.”

Michael came out, holding his brother in his arms. Patrick’s face was purple, red and bleeding. His body was covered in bruises, cuts and he was barely conscious. Michael’s face was grim and he jutted his chin at Gregor.

“Your life is forfeit, asshat,” I smirked. “Your run for the head of the Bratva is over.” I raised my weapon, shooting Gregor  in the temple. He collapsed in his own brains. Anthony ran downstairs, his gun drawn. “Get a cleanup crew here, Anthony.”

“It’s already done,” Michael said, carrying his brother toward the exit. “You have an ally here, Cullen. Thank you for helping me in getting my brother back.”

“Let me know how he’s doing,” I murmured. Michael nodded, walking up the stairs and through the now empty pool. Anthony and I followed him.  There were a handful of men inside, either dead or near death. We made our way outside, into fresh air. Well, as fresh as the air could be in New York City. Michael got into the SUV with his enforcers, treating his brother carefully. With a sincere nod, he clambered inside and they drove off. I shuddered, looking at Anthony. “My work here is done. I want to shower for a month and go home to my wife.”

“I know you hated being away from her, Edward,”  Anthony said as we walked back to our SUV. “It was worth it. You did that. AND you gained an ally.”

“Reigniting an old rivalry,” I sighed. “Let’s go home.” Getting into the car, I leaned my head against the headrest. “Jasper, you’re in charge until the baby’s born.”

“Got it, Boss,” he chuckled from the front seat.

**A/N: Okay, so I lied about the baby’s birth. We’ll meet baby Cullen next chapter. Pictures from the chapter are on my blog and tumblr. Leave me some loving! Hugs, kids!**

**Up next will be Edward’s reunion with his wife (schmexy times, kids!), the introduction of the heir of Cullen Consortium and his christening. Thanks for reading!**


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